Judgment's Fall
by TheCartoonFanatic01
Summary: When a fearsome alliance between familiar foes and new enemies threatens the safety of the world with its scheme of world domination, Ash and all of his friends must team up and stop this rising menace. However, as the stakes grow higher, a more sinister evil emerges, bolstered by the flaws of heroes and villains alike... Ash/Serena, AmourShipping, SatoSere!
1. Prologue, Part I

**A/N:** Hey, everyone! Merry Christmas, and welcome to "Judgment's Fall", the "Separation" sequel that I announced at the end of the story and have been working on for several months, ever since the original story ended. And after so long, I'm finally finished! I can only hope this introductory chapter pleases!

As to where the idea of this story came from in the first place, I always wanted to delve into another epic save-the-world Pokémon fic like my discontinued "Return of the Hero", only more up-to-date with the anime. More ideas began to form for the story, which caused it take on many forms and different storylines, until finally, I'd managed to find myself a plot that I would be proud of and be consistent with. To be honest, though, the plot actually consists of eight interconnected subplots, which feature different central characters. I wanted to demonstrate that the storyline featuring Ash, Serena, and the bond (not just the romance) between the both of them was going to be the primary focus of this story, which then led to the creation of "Separation" as a prequel for this story.

Before we begin, I would like to point out some things. First and foremost, this chapter is going to be quite long for a prologue, and so will the next chapter. Secondly, this chapter will not be featuring Ash and his friends at all, aside from a few references to the former, so you'll be reading through over 13,000 words without seeing some action from Ash and obviously AmourShipping too. And last, but not least, this story will have a planned total of 55 chapters, so be ready for quite for the ride.

Alright, enough chitchat! Time to begin this story, at long last. ENJOY!

**Disclaimer:** All forms of "Pokémon" DO NOT belong to me in any way! All rights go to Satoshi Tajiri, Nintendo, Game Freak, and Pokémon Company International!

* * *

_**TheCartoonFanatic01 presents**_

* * *

_The Pokémon world. An astounding place where dreams, imaginations, and ambitions come true._

**__I never was__**

__Together on this world, humans and Pokémon alike live in peace and harmony as comrades, partners, friends.__

_**_Am always to be_**_

__Humans who capture Pokémon and use them to battle other humans and their Pokémon are known as Trainers. These battles have since become a popular worldwide sport, which is unequivocally known as Pokémon battling. It is the ultimate goal of Trainers to become what are known as Pokémon Masters.__

**__No one ever saw me__**

__Through the powers of courage and friendship, Trainers and their Pokémon withstand all obstacles standing in their way and achieve their goals.__

**__Nor ever will__**

_However..._

**__And yet I am the confidence of all__**

___...Underneath this bright and positive facade of light and hope, there is another side to the Pokémon world that we believe we know. One of darkness and despair. A deep shadow that is cast by the world. One that is hidden away from everyone in the world but a select few. A true mystery of itself.___

**__To live and breathe__**

__And soon...__

**__On this terrestrial ball__**

__...This dark side shall one day emerge...__

_**_What am I?_**_

* * *

**Sometime, somewhere**

"Hey, Gramps!"

The young girl heard the blades of grass beside her rustle as the body lying on them moved slightly, responding to her call. This was followed by a low groan of apparent disapproval. She was unable to stifle her giggling; her teasing never failed to work on her guardian. After all, he was still actually young.

"What have I told you?" the man replied. "Don't call me that. I swear to Arceus..."

The girl giggled again as she looked at her longtime companion. "Well," she said, "for a moment, it seemed like you died there. Needed to get you back here."

She heard a long, tranquil sigh come from his mouth. Not minding it, the girl then refocused her gaze back to the stars. Currently, she and her guardian were at a wide field of dandelions, lying down on the soft, grassy ground as a chilly nighttime breeze blew, causing the dandelions and the blades of grass to flutter, as if they were waving at the strange visiting duo. The sky was clear and devoid of any clouds, which allowed for an unhindered view of the twinkling stars. Never before had the girl seen a much more beautiful sight before in her entire life. If she died right there, lying on the field, then she'd die happy.

Upon spotting one particular star, brighter than all the others, her amber eyes widened.

"Wow, look at that one!" she exclaimed excitedly. "It's so _bright_..."

"Yeah, I guess it is," her guardian replied in his nonchalant voice, but the girl learned to do better than mind his tone a long time ago. Instead, she continued to gaze in awe at the star, wondering if there were any other stars that could match the intensity of its beauty. However, there were no other contenders.

Finally, she asked, "Hey, do you know how many stars there are in the Universe?"

"Why do you wanna know?" the man asked curiously.

"If there are so many stars, then that must mean there's gotta be at least one star that's much brighter than this one. Think of the beautiful sight..."

"Well, I'm no expert on stars. Never was one. But I'm willing to bet there are billions, maybe trillions of them out there. Chances are several stars exist that can be much brighter than the one you're seeing right now." He let out an exhausted sigh. "I don't think that's a long shot."

"Wish those stars could show themselves..."

"Don't think they can."

The girl looked back at her companion. "Why not?"

"Well, the Universe is very big, and the stars are all spread out across its layout. Stars that can be brighter than the ones we have right now are likely located in another part of the Universe, otherwise we'd have historical records of their sightings by now. Astronomically speaking, stars don't travel to our solar system on their own whim." He sighed again with a strange hint of sadness. "I guess...sometimes...things are just never meant to be..."

"Well, that sucks." The girl began to pout. "I was hoping I'd see something so beautiful..."

Silence reigned again. After what seemed like hours of watching the stars, a shooting star streaked past the sky, visible for only a second. The girl smiled, happy (and almost relieved) that she managed to conclude her otherwise boring and mundane day with an experience such as this.

Then, he spoke again. "You know..."

His voice trailed off, prompting her to ask, "You know what?"

He continued, "You know...when I was your age...I've always wanted to be...a _Pokémon Master_..."

"A Pokémon Master?" the girl repeated. "What's that?"

The man chuckled, which surprised her. This was actually the first time she heard her guardian...demonstrate any feeling of _joy_...

Another shooting star streaked past the sky.

"To be honest, the definition has become lost with the ages. But...it was an ideal that I wanted to achieve...no matter what..."

"So, have you become a Pokémon Master? Or are you still trying to become one?"

"No. I haven't become a Pokémon Master. Nor do I ever intend to become one anymore."

The girl raised an eyebrow. "Why not? It sounds very, very interesting."

"Well...I found out, a long time ago, that sometimes, things are just never meant to be. Being a Pokémon Master is one of them."

The girl sat up and looked at her guardian, noticing the solemn expression on his face as he continued to look up at the dark, starry sky. She defiantly crossed her arms. She was unable to notice the shooting stars that began to race across the sky at high speeds in a meteor shower.

"Well," she said, "you can never know for sure till you keep trying."

"I _have_ tried. ...So many times..."

"Maybe you are not trying hard enough." She clenched a fist and placed it over her heart in a bold manner. "Determination and commitment always get the job done. Never give up till the end, as my mother used to say to me!" Her optimistic grin widened. "And besides, becoming a Pokémon Master sounds very easy!"

"You don't know what a Pokémon Master is," the man replied flatly, "and you believe becoming one is very easy?"

"If I put my mind into it, then yes! Anything is possible if you put your mind into it, and have determination and commitment and the phrase 'Never give up till the end' by your side! Once you have all of those, then there's absolutely _nothing_ that could go wrong when you're seeking your goal!"

"I see..."

The girl's smile faded as soon as she noticed the somber tone in her guardian's voice. She inched closer to him.

"Are...Are you okay?"

The man smiled slightly. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I'm just...tired, that's all." He let out a long sigh. "You sound impressed with the whole Pokémon Master thing..."

"I may not know what it is, but it sounds very appealing. Like you'll be standing at the top of the world if you're one." Her eyes softened, and she looked up at the sky, finally noticing the beautiful meteor shower. "At the top of the world...as a Pokémon Master..." Her grin reappeared. "_Wow_..."

"Do you want to be a Pokémon Master?" the man asked, as if on instinct.

The girl looked back at her guardian, confused. "Me, a...a _Pokémon Master_?" She smiled once again and looked back at the sky. "Yes. I would like to be one." An excited, energetic glint flashed in her youthful amber eyes as she determinedly put a clenched fist over her heart again. "Yes. That shall be what I will pursue. I will become a Pokémon Master! And I'll be sure to use my well-earned abilities as a Pokémon Master to make you proud!"

She heard her guardian sigh again. "Really, now? You, a Pokémon Master?" When she nodded, he continued, "...Well then...by all means, go on ahead. I cannot bar you...from trying to reach...your dreams..." He sighed once again, followed by the slight rustling of blades of grass. "But...don't say I didn't warn you. After all, I did say that...sometimes...things are just never meant to be. ...And being a Pokémon Master is one of them..."

"Well then, I'm gonna prove you wrong on that!"

"Alright, then," sighed the companion. "You do that..."

After a minute passed, the girl grew bored and stood up, dusting her clothes. Then, she looked at her guardian and noticed that his eyes were closed.

"Hey!" she called. "Don't fall asleep on me again! Come on, let's go back home."

The man didn't respond. A tranquil look was on his face, giving him the semblance of a corpse in a coffin during a wake.

"Hey!" she called again. Then, she smiled cleverly. "Hey, Gramps!"

To her surprise, the man still didn't respond. She raised an eyebrow and walked closer to his still form. Contemplating whether she should do it or not, she then decided for it and delivered a soft kick to his side. The girl knew he despised her doing that as well, but she wanted to go home. However, there was still a lack of response. Blinking, she knelt down and began shaking him, starting to become worried for her guardian's well-being.

"Hey, hey, wake up!" the girl exclaimed. "Wake up now! Oh, don't you dare do that to me, you damn idiot! GRAMPS!"

However, he still didn't respond. Her jaw dropped open in shock, and she stopped shaking her guardian. Letting her arms drop to her sides lifelessly, she stood up and blinked, her mind struggling to comprehend what was before her. It didn't take long, though, for her to come to the startling, horrifying realization.

She was all alone.

The meteor shower continued, lighting up the sky with its magnificent barrage of shooting stars, as if celebrating.

* * *

_**JUDGMENT'S FALL**_

* * *

**Prologue, Part I**

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters  
Location unknown  
The present day**

"The Syndicate?"

"Yes," the man with unkempt black hair said as he adjusted his thin-framed rectangular glasses. He turned around, his large black lab-coat making a soft swish as he did so. "The Syndicate is a criminal organization four years in the making. A criminal organization whose membership consists of many criminal organizations."

The man's lips curved into a small smile as he continued, "Commander Saturn."

The blue-haired man clad in the flashy silver-and-charcoal-gray suit twitched upon hearing the name, his hand subconsciously moving itself to cover the stylized gold G insignia boasted on his chest. Standing beside of this man were two women, one with long purple hair tied in a ponytail and the other with chin-length crimson hair, both of whom were wearing identical suits. All three were uncomfortable as they stared at the person apparently responsible for their liberation from prison. The small office room radiated an eerie air of superiority that was foreign to them. Behind this strange man was a large window screen that was tinted out.

"But why recruit us?" asked Saturn. "Team Galactic died along with its leader. Its ideals are no longer of use to its remaining members."

"_Your_ ideals," the black-haired man corrected, still smiling. "_Team Galactic's_ ideals still live on. Just because your great leader met a horrible, tragic fate doesn't mean Team Galactic's meaning of existence has been put to moot. No. In fact, such an event is just the turning point for you, Commander. It's just the _beginning_."

Saturn's blue eyes narrowed darkly, and he moved his head down for a fraction of an inch. His blue hair obscured his eyes.

"Please do not call me Commander, mister..."

The stranger's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, forgive me, where are my manners? The name is Alastair. I represent the Benefactor."

"The Benefactor?" asked the purple-haired woman beside Saturn.

"Oh yes, my dear Commander Jupiter," Alastair replied. "The Benefactor is the leader of the Syndicate, and its founder. He is the one who facilitated your escape from that hellhole of a penitentiary and gifted you freedom, as well as a second chance to fulfill your ideals. It is he you three must thank, not me or my grunts."

"A second chance to fulfill our ideals," Saturn repeated bitterly. "And how in the world are we expected to do that without our men and Pokémon?"

"Oh, don't fret, Commander Saturn. We have liberated them from their respective prisons and detention facilities as well. They are receiving the same information as you three. You will all be reunited shortly after this meeting is over. That is, if you and your colleagues make a decision, Commander Saturn-"

"I told you not to call me-"

"My dear, dear Commander Saturn," interrupted Alastair calmly, his smile still in place as he stretched out his arms, as if he were welcoming the three in an embrace. "Why do you treat your rank with distaste and contempt, when you proudly held it with such grace and nobility two years ago? Why do you reject your glorious past?"

"Yes, Commander Saturn," an elderly voice added.

The blue-haired man growled inwardly as he looked across his shoulder. Standing in the shadows, nearly unnoticeable, was a short, stout man with a balding head of mauve hair and wearing a pair of small circular glasses with red lenses and the same clothing as Alastair, which consisted of a large black lab-coat, a black undershirt with a red tie, and black pants. Saturn couldn't believe that after all of this time, Charon, the only Team Galactic member to escape capture, had joined the so-called Syndicate. It surprised him and the other Commanders to see that measly, unnerving colleague of theirs beside the stranger who bailed them out of jail.

"Why do you reject your past?" Charon continued, finishing off the sentence with his trademark eerie chuckle.

Saturn pursed his lips tightly and looked down at the carpeted floor. He was so awkwardly silent, one would think his absence of an adequate response was a product of inner conflict. Finally, the mounting tension between the former Commander and the enigmatic man was broken when Mars spoke up, her tone a curious one.

"How many organizations are part of your membership?"

"Over 300. 301 if Team Galactic generously takes up our offer. A good number of these organizations also have connections to the best Pokémon Poachers the world has to offer, so we have them in our wing as well." Alastair's grin widened slightly. "You have absolutely _no_ idea how many criminal syndicates there are in the world." The black-haired man immediately crossed his arms. "Do you three have any further questions before I continue with my presentation?"

"What exactly is the goal of the Syndicate?" Saturn asked, an eyebrow raised.

"What else, but to conquer the world?"

"And that is the goal of a criminal organization consisting of criminal organizations, which was assembled in four years?" When his questions were responded with an honest nod from Alastair, Saturn continued, "How were you and this so-called _Benefactor_ completely able to assemble such a congregation?... One that includes over 300 criminal organizations, nevertheless? Not even two organizations would be able to simply set aside their differences and align themselves under a single initiative due to their starkly differing goals. The fact that you allegedly were able to accomplish such a feat in just four years with that amount of syndicates is just ludicrous!"

"Ludicrous, maybe. That is undeniable, considering the facts you just laid out. But on the contrary, this scenario is indeed quite possible. And it is possible because it did indeed happen." When Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars all became confused at his remark, Alastair's grin widened even more as he called out, "Curtis?"

A young male voice replied for an intercom overhead, "Yes, Alastair sir?"

"Windows, please. Show our guests here a sample of the power that is our Syndicate."

"Understood, sir."

The tint on the window immediately retracted itself away into the corners, allowing the three former Team Galactic Commanders to have a full view of what was being hidden away from them until now. Upon laying their eyes on the sight, Jupiter and Mars gasped, while Saturn's eyes widened in shock. Before them was a gargantuan chamber, occupied by thousands of people wearing various types of suits, all of whom were working on numerous machines and devices of unspecified natures.

"What...What is _this_?..." Jupiter asked, almost in awe.

Still grinning, Alastair snapped his fingers, causing the mechanical tint to reappear and obscure the Commanders' views of the chamber. He then faced the trio.

"My dear, dear Commander Saturn, you may be right," he said. "Sure, it is impossible to unite even two criminal syndicates, both with different goals, under a single purpose. And indeed it was difficult. The Syndicate was established in a four-year period for nothing. However, after many long hours of surveying, of learning...such a leisure activity teaches you something pretty important. It teaches you a lot of things of importance, as a matter of fact."

"What exactly did you learn?..." Saturn asked, his eyes narrowing.

"The one thing that all of these organizations, including Team Galactic, have in common."

"And that commonality is what, exactly?"

"Why, the desire for conquest over the world."

The three Commanders blinked in surprise. How in the world did their goal for a New World Order necessitate claiming the planet as their own?

Apparently having read their thoughts, Alastair continued, "You all may be wondering how you and Team Galactic would want to take over the world if you're all just planning on destroying the current Universe, create a new one, and become its gods, all because you are dissatisfied with our current society? Well, is it not obvious?"

"What is not obvious?" asked Mars.

"To be powerful, beyond any measure. Isn't that the point of being a god? If you are not in possession of that kind of power, then what would you be, but a god?" He closed his eyes, a scoff escaping his mouth. "Certainly something to not be feared, I can assure that. Something less than worthy of attention. Such as mine."

"Do I take it that you are mocking us?!" demanded Saturn, his temper rising by the minute.

Alastair scoffed again. "That I am, Commander Saturn." He opened his eyes as they flashed with a glint of pure satisfaction. "Surely you do not want to be exposed to those kinds of opinions, especially now that you have been liberated by the very people who are now insulting you. Now do you?"

"HELL, NO! NO ONE INSULTS US WITH SUCH RECKLESS ABANDON AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!"

"Well then, it pleases me to be the first to do so."

"W-Wh-Wh-What?..." stuttered Saturn. However, Alastair merely smirked.

"I thought so. Anyway, back to my original explanation, it does not matter what kind of goal these different organizations have. The commonality we at the Syndicate have deduced from our thorough observations is that all of these organizations desire power and control over the world, above all else. Power and control that they all wish to attain from the Legendary Pokémon native to the regions they inhabit. Legendary Pokémon that we hope to capture to accomplish our goal."

"You mean _your_ goal."

Alastair pursed his lips bitterly. Saturn's defiance was starting to test his patience. "Why the negative tone, Commander Saturn? Do you mean to tell me you, of all of the people in Team Galactic, are reluctant in pursuing your dream, your _goal_ of the New World Order? _Team Galactic's goal_?"

"Like I told you, that goal perished with Cyrus the moment he jumped into that wormhole. What good is there when the one who understood that goal best is dead?"

"There is always the future, my dear friend. Look into the future with a positive spirit, and you find nothing but success."

However, Saturn continued to appear pessimistic. Alastair knew convincing the blue-haired Commander was going to be a challenge. But he knew that wouldn't serve as that large of an obstacle. Indeed, he didn't hear a further response from Saturn, so he took it that he won the argument and pressed on with the subject.

"So then, what do you think? Shall you take up the Benefactor's generous offer to provide you with all of the best resources needed for you to reach the New World Order that Team Galactic has desired for so long? Believe me, you may think the New World Order died with Cyrus, but I, _I_ still believe in the New World Order.

"Do you?"

* * *

"I do not like this, you two."

Saturn pursed his lips as leaned on the balcony overlooking massive concrete beams that were stretching in different directions, as well as the grassy fields below. He glanced at Jupiter and Mars, who had varying expressions. Jupiter appeared to be lost in thought, while Mars was obviously enthusiastic.

"I simply do not like all of it," continued Saturn.

"What're you talking about, Saturn?!" exclaimed the red-haired Commander, shocked by her comrade's attitude. "This could be our chance to finally achieve our goal of a New World Order! You saw that room of people! We don't have to worry about starting over, because they've already begun creating our resources for us! We do not even have to begin recruiting again, for we have an endless supply of allies! They may not be as like-minded as us, but Alastair-"

"Forget what Alastair said, Mars," Saturn snarled as he gazed over the balcony and at the concrete beams, which he noticed were supporting large fan-like structures. When he, Jupiter, and Mars were prematurely freed from their lifelong incarcerations, all three had been sedated immediately afterwards and regained consciousness in the office room, where they were met by Alastair. Therefore, none of them really knew where they exactly were, or how they got there.

"What do you mean forget what he said?! This is perfect for Team Galactic! Like he said, just because Cyrus is gone, does not mean the New World Order is too!"

"We were all _fooled_ by Cyrus into thinking he would share the New World Order with us." Saturn narrowed his blue eyes upon remembering his superior, whom he had entrusted everything, even his entire _life_, to. He can still feel the reeling blow that he felt when Cyrus exposed his betrayal. "Mars, what makes you think this Alastair person is just as trustworthy as Cyrus was when we first met him? For all we know, this Benefactor person does not actually exist, or better yet, _he_ is the Benefactor. And once we and all those other people carry out his bidding for long enough, once he is close to reaching his ambition because of _our_ efforts, whatever it is, he shall most likely leave us to suffer the consequences while he wins the glory of it all." He sighed heavily and closed his eyes. "This is all too good to be true..."

"I don't think he is going to betray us like Cyrus did. Why would he go around uniting other criminal organizations from all across the planet? If he did decide to turn his back on us at the last second, all he is going to do is make a whole lot of people upset. There's too much risks for him. I think he's being sincere, Saturn."

The blue-haired man scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You said the same thing about Cyrus," he deadpanned, "and look where _that_ got us."

"Yes, grasping the opportunity for _a second chance_! Saturn, this whole Syndicate thing, it is much bigger than Team Galactic this time around! The New World Order could be possible! Why do you refuse to leave it all up to chance and accept their offer? I know I would! I mean, it looks like Charon definitely took that initiative."

"You trust _Charon's_ word over _mine_?"

"Well, this has to be the most tactical decision we had on our hands ever since we were defeated by those meddling children. We mustn't pass up this opportunity!"

Saturn sighed, knowing he wouldn't be able to convince his colleague. Then, he remembered something important.

"Wait a minute, Jupiter hasn't decided," he said. Both Commanders glanced at the purple-haired woman, who was still thinking. "Jupiter?"

"What do you think, Jupiter?" asked Mars hopefully.

Jupiter didn't respond.

* * *

"I didn't expect Saturn to be this ambivalent towards our generosity."

"Heh heh heh. They'll accept our offer, either way."

From an upper balcony, Alastair and Charon observed the three Team Galactic Commanders deliberate on their final decision. Beside them was a young man, possibly still a teenager, who had green eyes and greenish-blond hair, and was wearing a black-and-red-striped leather jacket, black pants, and a black cap. A soft, cold breeze was blowing, which caused their lab-coats to flutter eerily with the wind. Behind them was a doorway leading into a small room shrouded in shadow.

"After all," Charon continued, "they are now fugitives from the law. They have to go somewhere for resources. And what better source for that than the Syndicate?"

"Indeed, Charon," replied a deep voice that resonated from the shadowy room. From within the pitch-blackness, something shifted. "This is just like with Teams Aqua, Magma, and Plasma. They will accept your gracious offer and join our ranks, Alastair, regardless of who is reluctant to actually take it. There is no need to fret."

Alastair smiled and glanced through the doorway. "Yes, you're right, boss," he replied, nodding. "You're always right." The black-haired man glanced back down at the lower balcony, watching as Saturn's shoulders slumped at Jupiter, seemingly in defeat. "Team Galactic will become the newest addition to the Syndicate."

However, the young man appeared concerned. "It still troubles me that two of the top-priority organizations haven't responded to our summons. Does this mean-?"

"Whether or not they have decided to join our ranks is no longer any of our concerns," the mysterious voice said in response. "If they deem us a threat in the wake of our exposure to them, then we still have enough manpower to overwhelm their forces and take them as our own. Please, Curtis, don't concern yourself."

* * *

_**"Well then, speaking of matters that are of concern, how are things going with the girl, Curtis?"**_

The teenage girl aimlessly walked down the well-lit but unoccupied hallway. She was looking down at the marble floor, her blue eyes filled with an unknown emotion. Her black-and-red-striped leather jumpsuit flashed with the bright lighting of the hallway, and her black-and-red visor obscured her eyes.

_**"She's still, shall I say, **_**shocked _that her mother wasn't among the Team Plasma members we aided, Alastair. I still haven't told her the truth."_**

Suddenly, tears of sadness began to well up in the corners of her eyes. Realizing this, the girl wiped them away and quickly reached inside her shirt.

_**"That's good. We still need her to coordinate Team Plasma as we get them integrated into the Syndicate's battle force. Ghetsis put great trust in her mother right before Team Plasma hit the can, and surely he will do the same thing for her. I do hope that you will oversee her every move, Curtis?"**_

From underneath her shirt, the girl pulled out the end of the necklace that had been obscured from view. It was a small, white locket in the shape of a heart. Opening it up, she gazed at the photo of an infant being held in the arms of an orange-haired, blue-eyed woman lying in a hospital bed. The woman appeared exhausted, but otherwise very joyful that she had brought something wonderful into the world. It was like there was no other happier moment the woman had ever experienced.

Upon seeing the photo, the girl knew that no matter what happened, she still had to bring pride to her mother, even in memory. She had to continue on with her goal.

_**"I shall, without fail."**_

The girl closed the locket and hid it back within her shirt.

**_"That's my boy, Curtis."_**

With that, the girl resumed walking down the hallway, with more conviction and determination.

* * *

**International Police Precinct A-1 Headquarters  
Location top-secret**

Looker was never the type of person to attend meetings of any sort on the job. His position usually required him to receive a case-file on his desk, accept the mission, learn any additional information while en route to his first designated location, complete the mission with as very few incidents as possible, and repeat the cycle, over and over again. The last time he was forced to go to a meeting was probably eighteen years ago, when the higher-ups announced...

"Looker. Hey, Looker!"

Interrupted by his musings, the International Police agent looked around and spotted another fellow agent approaching him. He cracked a smile at his colleague.

"Ah, Tedesco," he greeted. "So, they called you in for this meeting too?"

"Apparently, we've got all hands on deck," replied Tedesco, his serious expression not faltering for even a second.

Looker blinked in confusion. "Why? Do you know if anything has happened?"

"We weren't given any further details. We were all just told to gather at the briefing room immediately and to drop any current cases or duties of focus." Tedesco then placed a finger on his chin, his eyes narrowing in thought. "It is pretty weird, indeed. I wonder why the higher-ups would make us drop our stuff and report..."

"Well, we're about to find out soon enough," Looker replied as he and Tedesco approached the lecture hall-like briefing room and stepped inside, along with hundreds of other agents. After taking one of the allotted seats, with Tedesco sitting beside him at the right, Looker glanced at the stage, which was currently unoccupied, but he did notice the book pedestal, which seemed to hold a microphone and some unknown papers. However, before he could think about what those papers entailed...

"Hello, Looker," a drawling male voice greeted suddenly.

Looker sighed in bitter disgust and looked over at his left, where Archer, another agent, was calmly seated. He had met Archer only a few times on the job, but all of those uneventful encounters left an exceptionally sour aftertaste in Looker's mouth. Once a full-time agent for the International Police, he semiretired to teach at the International Police Academy, both jobs of which he was quite renowned for. However, Looker did not have any possible idea how the International Police Board or the students at the Academy found anything to renown Archer for, since his pompous, arrogant personality certainly disqualified him from such credit.

"Hello, Archer," the agent replied sourly. "I see you're doing well..."

"It has been a while, I see," continued Archer, the drawl still present in his voice. In his seat, Tedesco twitched; Looker was relieved that he was not the only one who caught onto Archer's stuck-up characteristics. "You seem to be doing very well yourself. I assume that your job is treating you well? Oh, how I envy you so..."

Looker had to stifle his laughter. "Yeah, I can only imagine, Archer, I can only imagine..."

"D'you have any idea why they brought us out here? I was in the middle of teaching a class when that ridiculous messenger unceremoniously interrupted my lecture."

"No idea." Looker's lip twitched. "Whatever it is, though, it's definitely not to give you a medal of commendation."

A nasty frown appeared on Archer's face, and his teal eyes narrowed menacingly. He despised Looker just as much as Looker despised him; it was a natural rivalry at best. However, before an argument could ensue, the two were silenced, along with the rest of the agents, when the side-doors leading to the stage opened up loudly.

Looker's eyes widened as the group of people stepped into the room, and he could hear gasps of shock coming from his colleagues, Tedesco and Archer included.

_"The General Assembly of the International Police?"_ he thought. _"But...why in the world are _they _here? Is the matter really _that _serious?..."_

The well-dressed men and women, led by a tall woman with blonde hair and an intimidating posture, stepped onto the stage, where they all were greeted by a short, stout man, who Looker identified as his precinct's commanding agent. The woman shook the man's hand and stepped behind the book pedestal, taking the papers.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentleman," the man greeted as he adjusted the microphone. "My name is Charlotte Durant, and I am the President of the International Police, as you may all know. I am deeply sorry for interrupting your current missions and bringing you all here in this hearing, but after you hear the grave news I am about to share, you will find that what you now have on your hands is much more dire. These are extremely serious matters, so I beg you all to be at full attention."

As the woman began speaking, a screen automatically lowered itself behind the General Assembly, bearing an image of the International Police insignia.

"At 12:38 a.m., earlier this morning, in Sinnoh Supermax Penitentiary, Salvador Turner, June Carpenter, and Marjorie Singer, inmates of the prison, all escaped from their confinements. As you may all know, they are also known as Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars, respectively, and infamous for being the Commanders of Team Galactic."

The screen immediately switched to an image of three mugshots.

If Looker didn't have the discipline, he would have simply sat up from his seat so abruptly in outrage that it would've fallen over. However, he did feel his heart skip a beat or two, and he had to clench his fists to hold back his surprise. Beads of sweat broke out on his forehead as he recognized the leaders of that criminal syndicate he tracked down and arrested two years ago in Sinnoh. Now, they were staring back at him as common criminals on rap sheets.

He remembered about how they were about to inflict cataclysmic damage to the entire Universe...

"Silence, please," Charlotte said sternly, for whispers had begun to break out in the room. "I am not finished." She read the papers in her hand. "In addition to those three Commanders, a number of more local Sinnoh prisons and Pokémon detention facilities had a number of escapes simultaneously. In total, 402 people, and their Pokémon, were reported as having escaped from their respective cells. All 402 people, including Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars, were members of Team Galactic."

"W-What?" whispered Looker to himself, the shock in him continuing to rise. Team Galactic had escaped?...

The woman continued professionally, "Investigations made into the mass prison escapes found that all of them were coordinated extremely efficiently, and a strange occurrence involving the tracks left behind by the inmates." The screen switched to multiple crime-scene photos of clearings in forested areas. "They all suspiciously disappeared in the middle of clearings. This suggests that they were picked up by an aerial vehicle. This, along with the extensive amount of coordination that went into these escapes, suggests that these people were being assisted in some way by at least one person on the outside.

"Our top suspect is the man only known as Charon." The screen then showed what Looker recognized as a blurry, grainy photo of the elderly Commander, the best he managed to get for his superiors. "The only Team Galactic member who was not apprehended by authorities at Spear Pillar, and a Commander for Team Galactic. He had vanished from the scene of the arrests, and only one confirmed sighting of him in the past two years was made: in the Unova region.

"And that's not all. This is where it gets complicated."

_"Great,"_ Looker thought, his heart sinking. _"There's more bad news?"_

"At exactly the same time as the escape of the 402 Team Galactic members, 533 escapes in total, excluding the inmates' Pokémon, were reported by various prisons located throughout Unova. It was confirmed by the prison wardens that all 533 of the escapees were members of the disbanded Team Plasma."

Looker's skin began to pale as soon as he heard the last two words. He couldn't believe this was happening. Why wasn't he personally informed of this?!

Charlotte continued, "Among the 533 escapees were Ghetsis Harmonia, the leader and founder of Team Plasma, and his second-in-command, Colress Achroma." An image of Ghetsis and Colress's mugshots appeared on the screen, causing one of Looker's eyelids to twitch at the horror and misfortune of seeing such familiar faces. "Like the escapes of the Team Galactic members, the escapes were coordinated very efficiently; the escapees' tracks abruptly ended in the middle of clearings in the middle of forested areas, thus suggesting an escape by air; and the events were likely planned between them and at least one person on the outside.

"Prison officials said that Ghetsis and Colress did not receive any visits since their incarcerations, but they examined phone calls they made only a few weeks prior to the mass breakouts. Their contact was using a disposable cellphone, so that was a dead end. However, according to eyewitnesses, it appeared their caller was named Whi-Two, obviously a code-name of sorts. Authorities ran the name through all of the known criminal databases and found absolutely nothing on this person. Indeed, however, this Whi-Two person is considered the top suspect in the Team Plasma breakouts. His or her identity is being investigated by Unova police at this moment."

Archer suddenly raised his hand, catching the attention of Charlotte.

"I beg your pardon, Mrs. Durant," he said, "but what exactly is the connection between these two strings of mass breakouts?"

"Identical M.O.s, exactly simultaneous timings, the fact that both organizations had to have outside help to pull this off, and the fact that Charon was last seen in the Unova region, where Team Plasma was active." Charlotte's response was very strict and professional, to the actual point that Looker could hear Archer shifting in his seat uncomfortably. "With all of those facts in mind, these two chains of events just cannot be mere, simple coincidences. Now, because of the International Police's involvement in the arrests of Teams Galactic and Plasma, the Localized Law Enforcement Association has just requested our assistance in their ongoing investigation.

"And quite frankly, I think this is a matter of extreme urgency. The fact that not one, but _two_ criminal organizations the International Police has helped apprehend are now on the run from the law, this puts this entire agency at high risk. We at the General Assembly fear some sort of violent retaliation being plotted between the two organizations, who have quite possibly formed an alliance between each other. As of this moment, we are at Code Alpha Red."

The agents began murmuring again, this time in worried tones, and Looker and Tedesco looked at each other in shock. Code Alpha Red was the International Police's highest level in their security alert system. It had actually been many decades since the agency was at that kind of readiness level.

"Silence, _please_," Charlotte said again, this time more sternly; the murmurs ceased. "The General Assembly has issued the executive order for all agents to drop their cases and treat this investigation with full attention, with no distractions." The woman pursed her lips. "We are on a hair-trigger here, agents. The Sinnoh and Unova regional governments have urged their citizens to be on the lookout for members of these organizations, and there are talks of the regions debating on pulling out of participation in the upcoming Pokémon World Tournament in Kalos's Lumiose City. I ask that all of you get to work on this case and solve it as quickly as possible. We have two organizations out there, planning Arceus knows what, and we absolutely CANNOT take any chances at this point-"

"Uh, excuse me?" a voice suddenly interrupted.

Everyone's heads turned towards the doorway, where a teenage boy was standing. He was wearing the traditional male International Police Academy uniform and was holding a bag full of items in one hand, while a laptop tucked under his unoccupied arm. Looker heard Archer grunt bitterly beside him; it appeared he knew this boy.

"Excuse me, young sir," Charlotte said, her eyes narrowing suspiciously, "I didn't see you standing there. Who are you?"

"Um, my name's Nate," the boy replied. "Nate Brown. And, uh, I think you guys missed a couple of things... Make that a whole bunch of things-"

"I see you're wearing an Academy uniform, Mr. Brown," interrupted a member of the General Assembly. "Students aren't allowed here. How'd you get past security?"

"How I managed to get past your security doesn't matter. What matters is all the information that I have here in this bag and laptop-"

"We don't have time for your science project, Mr. Brown." This remark drew jeering snickers from some of the agents, causing Nate's face to turn florid; Looker could not help but felt bad for the student. "I ask you again, how did you manage to get past all of our security systems, which the staff here reviews three times a day?"

Looker could see the sweat appearing on Nate's forehead. Then, he saw Archer bury his face into his palms.

"I knew it..." the fellow agent whispered. Then, he stood up and spoke loudly, "So, it was _you_ who did it! I should've _known_!"

"Agent," Charlotte said, "please care to introduce yourself and explain this situation."

"I'm Agent Archer, Nate's instructor at the Academy." He bowed slightly with a pompous air that would have made a Glameow sick. "And it appears that Nate was the one who stole my special security clearance card hours earlier." The teal-haired agent glared daggers at his student, who was now surprised to see his teacher there. "You must be wondering why I am still here, if you stole my card. _Always_ carry a backup, my dear Nate." His eyes narrowed. "Did you really, honestly think that you could use my card to gain easy access to top-secret International Police institutions and get away with it? Just to make another childish attempt at proving yourself?!"

"Agent Archer," Charlotte said, her voice laced with a disturbing calmness that silenced Archer before he could continue on with his rant. "Do you mean to tell me, the President of the General Assembly of the International Police, that your security clearance card was _stolen_, by one of _your_ students, of all people?"

"I-I-I b-beg your p-p-_pardon_, m-m-ma'am?..." Archer asked, his teal eyes wide. His trembling voice was so shocked and terrified that Looker and even Tedesco nearly choked on their own spit while trying to stifle their laughter. One goes a day without seeing the revered agent Archer faltering in his confidence, so this was priceless.

"You, a well-trained, honorable agent for the International Police, became inattentive long enough for a mere _student_ to take your special security clearance card?"

"I-I wasn't being attentive- I mean, _inattentive_, ma'am-"

"Then how did one of _your_ students _acquire_ your security card? You couldn't have just possibly _given_ it to him."

"My Arceus, of course not. Not even for a silly tour of the place!"

"Well, whatever the reason, you obviously played a factor in this security breach, quite unfortunately. Inexcusable." This last remark caused Archer's face to redden even more, and Charlotte exhaled. "All this talk about how effective our security is against external threats, turns out we must focus on internal threats even more."

"Mrs. President, ma'am, i-if I can just explain-" began Archer. His face was as red as an apple at this point.

"Enough, Agent. I do not want to hear any more nonsensical blabbering from you." She placed a hand on her forehead in disbelief. "I am simply embarrassed to hear of this. Seat yourself, Agent. I highly congratulate you for posing a potential risk to the security of the International Police's institutions."

Archer gagged in horror at being criticized by his highest superior. However, he sat down, his face still red. Looker desperately wanted to burst out laughing.

Then, Nate spoke up, "Look, if the General Assembly doesn't mind, I-"

"As for _you_, young man," Charlotte interrupted, causing the student to squeak out fearfully, "you still unlawfully breached a top-secret, high-security meeting. I don't care what you have for us that could be of any use for our case. The fact that you are still underage already undermines your credibility. I am sorry, but you must be detained for trespassing." She looked at the muscular security guard standing near her. "Security, please remove him from this meeting."

"Wait, no!" Nate shouted as the guard quickly seized him. "I _really_ need to tell you this! It's important!"

"I cannot imagine what could be more important than this case at hand." The woman then eyed Nate's bag and laptop. "Security, confiscate his belongings too."

"NO!"

Without thinking, Looker stood up and exclaimed, "I'll do it!"

Charlotte glared at him sternly. Already from her icy-cold stare, he felt as if he could freeze in his tracks.

"Please identify yourself, Agent."

"Agent Looker, Mrs. President. It's an honor to meet you, it really is. And I would like to take Nate's belongings, if you don't mind."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

"Well, there's obviously only one guard. He's obviously gonna need some help if he's gonna have to escort the boy to detention and carry all his items at once." When Charlotte continued to glare at him in suspicion, Looker added innocently, "Unless there's supposed to be anything else you want to make clear during this meeting?"

"No," she replied. "No, that'll be all, Agent Looker. We're done here."

_"Not for me,"_ Looker added in his thoughts. _"Oh no, I'm still gonna have to find out why you didn't inform me of these escapes beforehand. But for the time being..."_

He approached Nate and the security guard, taking the bag and laptop from the former's hands. As he did, the student pleaded, "Please, you need to listen to me-"

"Don't see what there is to listen to, kid," the agent replied as the three stepped out of the meeting room, all sets of eyes following them as they did so.

"Please, Agent Looker," Nate said, a worried expression rising in his face. "What I have in there is much bigger than just Teams Galactic and Plasma escaping!"

"Oh, really?" Looker crossed his arms, a stern frown coming upon his face. "Well then, enlighten me, young sir."

"Uh, excuse me, Agent-" began the guard, but Looker immediately held up a hand, silencing him.

"Please, if he wants to get whatever he wants to tell us out there, might as well save him the trouble and get it over with. It wouldn't hurt anyone, now would it?"

"Teams Galactic and Plasma aren't the only criminal organizations that broke out of prison!" Nate blurted out abruptly.

Looker flicked his head at the young student. "Excuse me?"

"I said Teams Galactic a-"

"I know what you said, kid. I was just simply questioning the credibility of your claim."

"If you just read my notes and the news articles in my laptop, it'd make a whole lot of sense!"

"I suggest being quiet from now on, kid-" began the guard.

However, Nate continued persistently, staring up at Looker with an extremely serious expression. He spoke so quickly that the agent had a difficult time trying to keep up with all of the boy's words. But as he continued to listen in, with the guard or himself unable to interrupt, Looker found himself intrigued by the boy's findings.

"And that's not all! You see, I have been closely monitoring the recorded patterns of other known criminals and criminal organizations through the Pokémon Criminal Registry for the past six months, and I noticed something! I noticed an abnormal change in the activities of several other entities, starting four years ago! At first, the changes were only limited to simple Pokémon Poachers and small organizations. You wouldn't even notice the changes at first!

"Then, two years ago, there was a criminal organization active in the Oblivia region, one the Pokémon Rangers were investigating, called the Pokémon Pinchers. They suddenly just abandoned their headquarters in the region and began operating in other regions, under a completely different agenda! Without any real reason!"

"Maybe the Pinchers felt the pressure from the Rangers closing in on them and decided to switch their tactics," suggested Looker, shrugging dismissively. "After all, it _is_ quite natural for worthless cowards like them to make a run for it when cornered, like the pack of Rattata they are. To that, I say good riddance."

Nate, however, shook his head confidently. "No, no, the Rangers weren't even _close_ to apprehending them at the time. There's no indication something related to the Rangers provoked the Pinchers into abandoning ship. No, it was definitely something else. The same thing that caused teams like Cipher, Team Snagem, the Go-Rock Squad, Team Dim Sun, and dozens of other notable criminal organizations to do the same thing, right after the Pinchers did it."

"And you found out about _all_ of this?" Looker narrowed his eyes. "How, exactly?"

The student looked down at the floor. "I...I can't say-"

Suddenly, the guard tightened his grip on Nate, causing him to squeak fearfully. "Are you hiding something from us, kid?" he snarled viciously. "'Cause if you are-"

"Let the kid go," Looker said sternly. Nate looked at him in relief, while the guard appeared flabbergasted.

"Are you kiddin' me, Agent? This kid might've done more than just interrupt a top-secret meeting, judging from what he's been implying-"

"And if he did," Looker cut off, "I'll personally escort him to the detention facility myself. You have my word on that." He raised an eyebrow. "Are we clear on that?"

The guard blinked as he stared back at Looker. His bright-blue pupils flicked towards the agent's badge, and Looker could tell that the man was evaluating his rank as an agent for the International Police. Finally, the muscular man sighed in defeat and released Nate, the boy sighing in relief. He then glared at Looker.

"You'd better get this handled appropriately, Agent," he said as he walked back into the meeting room, "because I _will_ be forthcoming to the General Assembly if any of this turns out to simply be any additional trouble for the International Police. You have my word and my badge on that."

As soon as the guard was gone and the door was fully closed, Looker stared at Nate. He didn't know why, but now that he heard what Nate had to say, Looker found himself even more intrigued than ever. He knew that he was technically disobeying the President and the General Assembly by assisting this student, who had heard sensitive, top-secret details, and yet...he wanted to learn more. Looker didn't know what exactly was fueling his actions, but he felt confident in himself. Besides...

He felt as if Nate reminded him of someone... Someone who helped him out a lot in the past...

The agent smiled slightly at the teenage boy and said, "Well, I hope you're up for a lot of reading, kid."

* * *

**A city in a distant land**

She had never felt at so much peace before.

That was what Mewtwo thought when she had her eyes closed and allowed her mind to block out the cacophony of noises bombarding her eardrums. Standing on the antenna of a towering skyscraper with inhuman ease, the Genetic Pokémon remained still as she felt the cold air blow against her body, almost wrapping itself around her with a soft, gentle, almost maternal touch. ...Something she, as a man-made Pokémon, the product of a scientific experiment, lacked in life...

But she vowed to herself that she would find meaning in her life, despite the circumstances of her birth. She hoped there was something in this world that would offer it to her, a clear, definitive answer to what she sought. In the meantime, she would explore each and every corner of this planet in search for it, and to learn all about the world she now called home. The more she explored, the more she found out about the living beings who shared the world with her...

And yet, nothing about her, not even a single hint to her true purpose...

**_"There has to be something,"_** Mewtwo thought. **_"_Anything _that will give me an answer to my dilemma. It has been a year since my..._birth_,_ _and yet, all I have ever accomplished was accepting this world as my home, and accepting the creatures that share it with me. I learned a lot about both humans and Pokémon, and for that, I am glad. But I am _not _satisfied. There is a reason I am here. My existence cannot have been for nothing._**

**_"Every life is worth living. Life...is wonderful. ...But..._why_?..."_**

Suddenly, a pulse of strange psychic energy coursed through Mewtwo's body. She gasped, opened her eyes, and looked around in bewilderment. For a moment, just a brief moment, she had sensed the presence of another being, with powers so magnificent and destructive at the same time...powers that were almost like her own.

But she didn't know any other living being that could have powers like that, other than herself...

_**"Could that have been right?..."**_ she pondered to herself in wonder. _**"Did I just sense someone...with powers like my own?... Someone...like **_**me_?..."_**

Mewtwo then surveyed the city below. It was currently nighttime, so she could see a vast sea of yellow electrical lights, some of them moving on the streets below.

**"No,"** she said to herself. **"No, that cannot be right. I am the only one of my kind. There cannot _possibly_ be another..."**

"Swellow!" a voice chirped.

The Genetic Pokémon looked towards her left and saw a Swellow, one of the many Pokémon she befriended in the city, flying hurriedly towards her.

**"What is it, my friend?"** Mewtwo asked, noticing its panicked expression. **"What troubles you tonight?"**

"Swellow, Swell, Swellow!" replied the Swallow Pokémon loudly. "Swellow, Swell!"

Mewtwo's eyes widened as she understood its message. **"What?! Tell me, where is this happening?!"**

* * *

**The local shipping dock  
Near the city  
A few minutes later**

Mewtwo and Swellow landed stealthily on one of the dock's container cranes, where they found a flock of other Flying-type Pokémon looking down toward the ground below in observance. A Pelipper noticed the newest arrivals and greeted them both, causing Swellow to chirp in return. However, Mewtwo was motionless.

**"Which direction are they at?"** she asked. The Pelipper nodded towards the direction the other Pokémon were looking at, and Mewtwo followed their gazes.

Down below, she spotted a large group of humans and their Pokémon carrying several crates from a docked ship. The humans were carrying wooden crates, but their Pokémon, all large and muscular Fighting-type Pokémon, were collaborating in transporting gargantuan, rectangular steel crates.

Then, Mewtwo spotted a group of humans were grimy work clothing and tied together by sturdy rope, most likely the ship's crew. However, it was the next sight that disgusted her: cages that were located next to the hostages, all containing numerous Pokémon that were working for the humans. The ones who were still conscious were all shivering and cowering fearfully at the sight of their captors, some of whom were standing by the cages, equipped with futuristic-looking rods.

**"Disgusting humans,"** Mewtwo snarled as she levitated into the air. **"No Pokémon deserves to be faced with this kind of cruelty."**

Mewtwo then watched as one of the smaller imprisoned Pokémon caved in to pressure and began bursting into tears. One of its captors aggressively struck the metal bars of its cage with the rod, causing sparks to suddenly fly, and the Pokémon jumped backward, trembling even more in fear. Mewtwo's composure stiffened.

**"What insolence!"** she exclaimed in horror and outrage.** "What evil wickedness! These humans will pay _dearly_ for this outrageous mistreatment!"**

The feminine Genetic Pokémon immediately flew down towards the scene, landing in the middle of the operations and startling everyone present.

"What the?!" a man shouted.

"Hey, is that Mewtwo?!" exclaimed a woman.

"Impossible!" another man roared.

**"Let these Pokémon and their humans go,"** Mewtwo commanded, not wanting to bear with their nonsense, **"or you shall suffer the consequences!"**

One person chuckled and stepped forward. Mewtwo was shocked to see someone so young associated with a gang of criminals; this young boy just had to be no older than that Ash Ketchum boy she met a year ago. He had dark-brown hair and also wearing a formal black suit with a red undershirt and a black-and-red-striped tie, as well as a pair of black sunglasses. Judging by his extreme confidence despite her presence and the fact that most of the other criminals in her sights all seemed to be gathered around him, Mewtwo assumed, rather reluctantly so, that this boy was the leader of this operation...

She knew she had to keep a wary eye on this youngster.

"Truthfully, Mewtwo," the boy said, "I am quite surprised by your appearance. I did not expect to see _you_ here. But, like my father once said, the more, the merrier."

**"I do not understand that phrase, human."**

A terrible smirk suddenly appeared on the boy's face as he replied, "Too bad."

A split-second later, a blur of dark-gray and light-purple appeared from the ship. Before Mewtwo knew it, the blur violently smashed into her at high speeds, sending her crashing into a large stack of steel crates on the dock. As she tried to recover and stand up, she saw a Shadow Ball hurling at her in the corner of her eye...

* * *

The criminals watched as the Shadow Ball struck the crates where Mewtwo had landed, resulting in a massive explosion that sent shards of metal flying. However, a dissatisfied expression replace the boy's previous face of triumph as he stared at the raging blaze that engulfed what was left of the scene.

"It appears the threat has been neutralized, sir," said a woman standing by his side.

The boy shook his head, tutting. "What a shame. I had been expecting _more_ from this Mewtwo." He began to turn away. "She could've been a great asset-"

Suddenly, a loud bang echoed through the air, and everyone watched as several ablaze metal crates were thrown backward violently. Then, rising from the wreckage was a heavily bruised but still-mobile Mewtwo, who glared at the group of criminals, her eyes glowing a menacing shade of pink. Her fists were clenched tightly.

**"If you think you could defeat me so easily,"** she snarled, **"if you think you could possibly _use_ me as a _tool_, then you are sadly- OOF!"**

The strange blur had collided into Mewtwo again, sending her hurtling yards away from the dock. The boy grinned and looked at Mewtwo's assailant.

"Defeat her, MTX," he ordered calmly. "Oh, and make sure you bring her back alive in one piece."

The being known only as MTX nodded loyally in response to its master's orders.

* * *

**A local park  
****Several yards away from the dock**

Groaning, Mewtwo opened her eyes with great difficulty. Her head was spinning, and she felt disoriented from the latest attack. She wanted to sit up and examine her current surroundings, but she couldn't find the strength in her body to do so. All the Genetic Pokémon knew right now was that she was lying on soft ground, the feel of it strangely comforting as she looked up at the starry sky. There were voices nearby, voices belonging to young children and an older woman, perhaps their mother.

Two youthful faces suddenly interrupted her view of the night sky. One of the children, a girl with orange hair who was wearing a dark-blue visor, gasped.

"Mommy, Mommy, that strange Pokémon's awake!" she exclaimed.

"Eva, what did I _tell_ you?!" A woman with sandy-brown hair ran up to the children. "Don't go _near_ that-" Then, the woman gasped upon seeing Mewtwo. "Oh, my!"

**"There is no reason to worry, human,"** Mewtwo said, her voice weak. **"I am not a threat..."**

"Whoa, that Pokémon is _talking_!" cried the second child, a boy wearing a baseball uniform.

"Tanner, hush!" the mother responded as she grabbed both of her children protectively.

With a groan, Mewtwo began to sit up, but as soon as she was halfway through, her energy gave out and she collapsed on the ground. The children gasped.

"Mommy, that Pokémon's hurt!" the girl named Eva said.

"We need to help it!" exclaimed the boy named Tanner.

"No!" the mother replied. "Who knows what could happen if you two touch that thing-"

Then, the mother suddenly gasped in horror. Sensing something coming, Mewtwo looked over to her side and saw another Shadow Ball flying towards them. She then heard a Pokémon growling beside the family. Using all of the energy she could muster, Mewtwo stood up and activated a Protect barrier around herself and the family, seconds before the Shadow Ball hit it and exploded around it, the force of the blow nearly knocking her unconscious. The entire family let out screams of fear.

Once the smoke cleared, Mewtwo disengaged the Protect and immediately spotted her assailant levitating in the air. She could only make out its outline in the bright moonlight, and because of the distance between her and it, she could only make out one distinguishing feature, a possible tail. She put on a defensive stance.

**"Leave this place immediately,"** she warned. **"Go, now!"**

The mother nodded and prepared to escort Eva and Tanner away. "Come on, kids, we have to go now!"

"But Mommy!" protested Tanner. "This Pokémon looks hurt!"

"Yeah!" Eva added. "Why can't we help it?!"

The Pokémon, which Mewtwo identified as an Eevee, barked in agreement. However, the mother shook her head and continued leading her children away.

"We have to go _now_, kids!"

"But-"

"No buts!"

That was the last thing Mewtwo heard from this particular family before she turned back towards her attacker.

_**"This particular enemy is extremely powerful,"**_ she thought. _**"Just two hits and I'm already suffering serious damage to my body. To engage this thing in my regular form would be instantaneous defeat. ...Yes. I can only use my last resort for this assailant. I must use everything I've got!"**_

Mewtwo closed her eyes, put her hands together, and allowed herself to become engulfed by a light-blue, fire-like aura. As soon as that aura dissipated, she stood her ground, her form Mega Evolved. Feeling a new energy flowing through her body, Mewtwo lifted herself into the air, to which her opponent put on an offensive stance.

**"Shall we?"** Mewtwo asked before racing towards her opponent at lightning-fast speeds. She could see it barreling towards her with a similar speed as well.

Split-seconds later, the two collided into each other. Mewtwo immediately felt herself launch backward from the force of the collision, and before she can recover, she felt herself violently smashing through layers and layers of concrete. Finally, after a couple of seconds, she crashed through yet another wall of concrete and barreled into open air. Mewtwo managed to stop herself and found herself staring at a clean hole in the exterior of a tall building; she had crashed _through_ it...

But she couldn't see her mysterious assailant anywhere-

The same blur of dark-gray and light-purple flew through the hole and sent Mewtwo hurtling towards another nearby building with a single powerful punch. However, unlike last time, Mewtwo prepared herself, using Psychic on her body to stop herself from crashing into the building. Once she fully stopped, she fired an Aura Sphere attack at her opponent, which countered by firing a Shadow Ball. Both spheres collided, resulting in a large explosion that blew out any glass windows nearby.

Taking advantage of the cloud of billowing smoke, Mewtwo launched herself through it at high speed, but before she could reach her opponent, it abruptly moved out of her way with identical speed and reflex. Gasping in shock, Mewtwo quickly retaliated with an Aura Sphere, but the opponent dodged the attack again. As it did, she made out its head; it appeared to be wearing a helmet with a black visor, though what appeared to be short, blunt horns of a light-pink color were sticking out of it.

Before she could make out more of her opponent, Mewtwo watched as it launched another Shadow Ball towards her.

Quickly dodging it, she demanded, **"Who, or _what_ are you?!"**

The attacker didn't respond, instead launching several Shadow Balls at her. Mewtwo dodged every single one, but as soon as she dodged the last one, she was caught unawares by her opponent, which slammed into her and sent her flying high into the air. She tried to grab something that appeared at the corner of her eye, but this object broke off from its foundation and she continued to hurtle through the air. Once again, she had to use Psychic to stop herself from going any further.

Glancing at the object she was carrying, she saw it was the top of a skyscraper's spire. Then, she looked down and saw a gray blur heading towards her. Knowing she would never find out its identity by peacefully negotiating with it, Mewtwo threw the spire at her assailant's direction. Watching as the being dodged the bladed slab of concrete, she took advantage of this distraction to fire several Aura Spheres at it, then slammed into it at the speed of light.

Ensuring they were out of the city before making her next move, Mewtwo intentionally crashed the both of them into an empty field. She then tried to use Psychic on her opponent, but she suddenly found herself paralyzed. Her eyes widened in horror; _her opponent_ was using Psychic on her.

Before she knew it, she was being slammed into the ground repeatedly. She wanted to retaliate with another attack, but she couldn't do anything. She could only feel herself violently crashing into the earth over and over again. Mewtwo was glad she took the both of them away from the city limits, for being slammed into soft earth was more preferable than crashing through slabs of sturdy, rock-solid concrete. Finally, after a couple of minutes, the attacks stopped abruptly. She heard footsteps...

Mewtwo weakly raised her arm, hoping to fire an attack at her opponent. However, just as she did so, a foot suddenly smashed down on it hard, cutting her off.

_**"Such astounding power..."**_ she thought as she closed her eyes. _**"I cannot even identify my opponent, and it is about to defeat me. Simply unbelievable."**_ Mewtwo then heard the eerie sound of a Shadow Ball being formed. _**"...And to think, when I believed I had reached the farthest limit possible, I found that I have only just scratched the surface. ...I found a new limit."** _She mentally sighed in defeat._** "One I cannot reach now...**_

_**"I...I didn't even get to realize what my purpose was... I didn't even get to figure out why life is wonderful-"**_

A strange psychic energy, exactly identical to the one from before, suddenly pulsed through her body again. Mewtwo jerked her eyelids open in surprise, as she heard her opponent stumble backward, apparently in shock. However, she heard it regain its composure and approach her again, this time cautiously.

That was when Mewtwo remembered all of the Pokémon and humans who helped her in her quest to search for life's true meaning, everyone who she considered her friends. During her first days of life, she had been held captive by her own creators, who viewed her as nothing more than a test subject with no purpose beyond that simple objective. They had conducted experiments on her, using methods that bordered on extreme torture... She had never met such cruel, narcissistic beings...

But when she escaped, when she was gravely wounded, she had been tended to by Pokémon, _her_ fellow Pokémon. It was these same Pokémon who taught her there was more to this planet than cruelty, selfishness, and darkness, that whenever there was such negative emotions causing havoc, there was always love, compassion, and light to combat them and triumph over them in the end. She also learned from Pokémon that there was always a place for everyone in this world...

_**"There's always a place for everyone in this world..."**_ Mewtwo continued to think. _**"I may not know what it is, but I **_**will _find out one day. I am not just a science experiment, destined merely as a tool to bolster the arrogance of humans. No. I am Mewtwo. And I am not FINISHED!"_**

She immediately created a light-purple force-field around her and allowed it to expand rapidly. Her assailant was caught by this force-field and then thrown backward by the following explosion. Mewtwo then used the last ounce of her strength to force herself back up on her feet and then fire an Aura Sphere at her opponent, which hit it in the chest, causing another large explosion that threw it backward. Panting, Mewtwo watched as the assailant quickly recovered again.

_**"I cannot continue this fight..."**_ she thought. _**"Even in my Mega Evolved form, this opponent can easily best me in combat. I must retreat..."**_

With that, Mewtwo leaped to the air and sped away at the speed of light. However, she could hear her opponent following right behind her, firing Shadow Balls at her.

_**"This is a persistent one. I must find a way to evade it..."**_ She then spotted the city's skyscrapers ahead. _**"Perfect! I shall lose it here!"**_

The Genetic Pokémon entered the city limits and began racing between the skyscrapers in a zigzag pattern. She could hear her pursuer right behind her, but Mewtwo knew she had to lose it eventually. After all, she had been living in this city for months now, almost a year, and easily learned her way through it during all that time. She had never sensed this being in the vicinity previously, so chances are it was unfamiliar with all of the routes in the city.

Seconds turned into minutes, and yet, Mewtwo could hear her opponent still pursuing her. Finally, after almost an hour, she no longer heard its presence and stopped in midair. Looking around, the Genetic Pokémon saw no sight of the mysterious being anywhere. She let out a sigh of relief...

That familiar gray-and-purple blur suddenly crashed through one of the skyscrapers and slammed into her with brutal force. The two crashed into the wall of another skyscraper, after which the being then began dragging Mewtwo upward against said wall at a high speed. This action consequently left behind a large, long drag-mark going upward on the skyscraper's frame. Upon reaching the top of the skyscraper and hovering dozens of feet above it, the being then forced Mewtwo to face it.

She looked into the black visor of her attacker's helmet, and sensed a psychic energy dwelling within that seemed..._familiar_ to her...

**"_Why_?"** it suddenly asked.

Before Mewtwo could respond, the attacker suddenly threw her down onto the skyscraper aggressively. Before she knew it, she felt her body crashing down from floor to floor, hearing the occasional human screaming in shock. She felt slightly relieved she wasn't hitting anyone on the way down the skyscraper.

After a couple of minutes of this painful experience, Mewtwo finally felt herself hitting hard ground. Groaning, she tried to stand up, but her body already suffered too much... She couldn't take much more of this anymore... She could hear people screaming fearfully and running away from her...

She looked up and saw the gaping hole in the ceiling she left behind. Her assailant was slowly floating down the passage...

Mewtwo blacked out.

* * *

**Team Rocket Emergency Headquarters  
****Location top-secret**

With an outraged snarl, Giovanni slammed a clenched fist down hard on the armrest of his leather chair. He had just overheard the entire meeting held by the General Assembly of the International Police, courtesy of his implanted undercover spy. To know that not just one, but _two_ criminal organizations, both of them rivaling Team Rocket in their goal of conquest over the world, were both at large served a great amount of concern to the enigmatic Gym Leader.

And not only were these organizations now at large, but these mass escapes signaled, to Giovanni, further confirmation of the existence of another organization, one that just caught his undying attention a few weeks ago. The organization that referred to itself only as the Syndicate.

It had all started with an unmarked envelope from an unknown sender, which was found sitting innocently in its mail with all the other envelopes and packages from a wide assortment of people. Giovanni initially believed it'd be nothing more than another well-disguised means of communication from one of his agents overseas, but alas, it turned out to be a statement from this Syndicate organization, announcing its presence to all the other active criminal organizations worldwide.

And not only was it an announcement...but it was an actual _invitation_ to join their ranks! The thought of that letter made Giovanni want dearly to smash his precious wine collection. The nerve of these people to ask Team Rocket to _join_ them in a polite, proper manner, as if it was just a formal dinner they were talking about! It was like they were _challenging_ the strength of Team Rocket, taunting them, saying that the organization was weak, suffering without their assistance! Such an outrageous blasphemy! To further add the tension, it boasted that there were _other_ criminal organizations already in its ranks, with a small, partial list for emphasis. In all of his years of leading Team Rocket and having to deal with rival organizations, Giovanni had never seen such offhanded tactics!

Ever since he received that envelope, Giovanni ordered for the relocation of Team Rocket's offices to their secondary headquarters complex, used only in emergencies such as this. Since it was obvious these Syndicate people knew how and where to contact him, Giovanni didn't want to take any chances of an impending attack. Also, he issued alerts to all agents overseas, telling them to be on the alert for any highly suspicious people. Well, all overseas agents except-

His musings were suddenly interrupted by the creak of the door to his office. Almost on instinct, the Persian Giovanni considered his lifelong companion sprung up on its four paws and faced the doorway, issuing a menacing growl at the unknown figure standing there. Even Giovanni gripped his armrests in preparation.

Fortunately, a familiar voice replied, "Relax, sir. It's just me."

Upon recognizing the voice, Giovanni exhaled in relief and turned his revolving chair around. He saw Matori, his loyal secretary, standing at the doorway, then began stroking Persian's fur, causing the Classy Cat Pokémon to purr happily and lie down on the floor, completely placated. Once that was done, he stared angrily at Matori.

"What is it, Matori?" he demanded. "We're on high alert, and for you to just barge in like that unannounced-"

"My sincerest apologies, Giovanni, but I believe this is of the highest importance and you needed to hear it right away!" She immediately looked at the clipboard she was carrying. "We've been tracking any suspicious activity by this Syndicate organization, and we think we found something!"

The syndicate leader's attention was piqued. "What is it?"

"It's not the Syndicate, per se, but we think they might have a certain Pokémon in their ranks! You're never gonna believe who it is!"

Giovanni's eyes narrowed. The tone in Matori's voice could only mean one thing, but he knew he had to make sure. It had been five years since...

"Who is it?" he asked with a disturbing calmness.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, this is about it for the first part of the prologue! Hopefully this wasn't too long of a read for you, and I do hope you stay tuned for the next part!

Okay, before anyone gripes about how I used the female Mewtwo from the sixteenth movie instead of the male Mewtwo that we all know the original series, I want to comment that it was indeed my fullest intention to use the female Mewtwo instead of the male one. Don't worry, the male Mewtwo will appear as well! But right now, I am still working on a way to better differentiate the two of them for you guys, so I apologize if there is any confusion about which Mewtwo I am talking about.

So, what'd you all think about this introductory chapter? Tell me your thoughts in your reviews, but I don't want any one-line reviews. I need you guys to be thorough in your descriptions, as best as possible at least, and point out anything that you feel doesn't seem right. Oh, and please, no flaming.

Well, hope you enjoyed this introductory chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE, AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!


	2. Prologue, Part II

**A/N:** HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE! And as a New Year's gift, here's a new update from me, for this story! :D

ENJOY!

**Edit:** I've done some new changes with the chapter so it could fit with what happened in the most recent episode in the XY anime.

* * *

**The Tin Tower  
Ecruteak City, Johto  
150 years ago**

Bolts of lightning streaked across the large, dark mass of storm-clouds, illuminating ancient Ecruteak City as a torrent of rain poured down upon the town. Absolutely anywhere one would look, there was a conspicuous absence of townspeople. Nearby, a column of thick, dark smoke was rising from the remnants of a tower, blending with the clouds, up to the point where one would assume the bank of clouds were actually _originating_ from the smoke emanating from said tower.

Within the skeleton of this tower, the last flames from a ferocious fire were still flickering, very weakly so, as if they were little creatures, writhing pathetically as they struggled to live. At the center of a room on one of the tower's upper floors, two charred bodies lay, burned beyond any sort of recognition. One of the bodies seemed to be reaching towards a crib made of polished wood that was standing nearby; this crib was somehow untouched by the flames completely.

Inside the crib was an infant, a boy, who was sound asleep, unaware of the destruction and death that surrounded him. He stirred and turned over in his sleep, cooing softly as he clutched a stuffed Teddiursa toy protectively. Droplets of water from the rain dripped inside the room, but none of them touched his crib.

Finally, after a couple of hours passed and more of the flames were dying out, a droplet fell on the baby's nose, stirring him awake. He blinked as he looked up at the dripping beams of wood, confused as to why he was not looking at the ceiling he had familiarized himself with. To make matters even more confusing, everything was strangely silent. He couldn't hear his parents talking, the townspeople talking and strolling around outside, the birds chirping... All he could hear was the pouring rain.

Suddenly, the baby became hungry, like he usually was. He started crying, hoping that his mother would hear his wails and attend to him. However, no one came.

When minutes passed and no one responded to his cries, the baby felt something new emerge from inside him, overwhelming him. He did not know it at the time, but for the first time in the baby's life, he was feeling the primal emotion of fear. Very soon, hunger was no longer a concern for him. He now wanted someone to be there by his side, to show him that he was not alone in this world. His mother, his father, his caretakers...even the priest that scared him every time he spotted him.

Someone, anyone, anyone at all...

Then, the baby grew quiet. He heard a soft creak on the wooden floor... Someone was approaching!

Before he knew it, someone was looking down upon his crib. Someone he didn't recognize. Then again, there were a lot of people he met. He could only recognize his parents, caretakers, and that priest from any crowd. Anyone else, to him, would just be any random citizen of Ecruteak City, anyone who visited and adored him...

But then, he saw the emotion gleaming from the depths in the unknown visitor's eyes. The eyes were being filled up by this emotion like they were once vacant shells of themselves. It was an emotion that he knew all too well. It was something he always saw in his mother's eyes whenever she looked at him.

Upon seeing those eyes, those eyes of magnificent amber, the boy's own eyes softened.

**_"It was built to promote understanding between humans and Pokémon, and my ancestors protected it for generations. Over the decades, the Tin Tower became a special place for another reason. It was the only place on earth where Ho-Oh, the legendary Pokémon, made contact with humans. Ho-Oh's visits were a sign of peace, but it would only appear to a chosen few. Only those guarding the tower. Then, one day, invaders came who sought to use the Ho-Oh's power for evil! In the ensuing battle, the Tin Tower was set afire! The Ho-Oh fled... It ceased to make contact with humans...and it has never returned. Some wanted to rebuild the tower, but my ancestors insisted that it be left as a witness for future generations of man's brutality, but they also decided to build a new Tin Tower. Their hope was that the Ho-Oh might return, to a new place of peace. So far...these hopes have been in vain... We've waited so long that some people say that Ho-Oh was a legend that never really existed."_**

* * *

**_"Tell me, Ash, what do you wanna grow up to be?"_**

**_"Well, I wanna grow up to be a Pokémon Master, Mom!"_**

With a gasp, Ash jerked his eyelids open and found himself staring at the darkened ceiling of the guestroom. Blinking in initial confusion, he then let out a heavy sigh.

"It was just a dream," he whispered to himself. "Just a dream..."

He sighed and closed his eyes.

_**"Oh, isn't that right?"**_

* * *

**Prologue, Part II**

* * *

_**"A celebration has just begun at the Kalos region's prestigious Lumiose City earlier today. **__**As I speak, everyone is here at the base of Lumiose City's famous Prism Tower, taking part in the Pokémon World Festival, an event commemorating the days preceding a certain world-famous event.**_

_**"In two more weeks, the competition everyone around the world has been talking about, the Pokémon World Tournament, will begin its ceremonies. For those who are unaware, although I can't imagine anyone who **_**is_, the Pokémon World Tournament, otherwise known as the PWT, is a brand-new competition that was announced last year by the young but brilliant presidents of the BW Agency, Hilda White and Hilbert Black. The tournament will be bringing together many different competitions from various regions located all across the world. It is a decennial event, the first one of its kind in modern history. This means that once the PWT's over, everyone will have to wait another ten years for the next one to take place._**

**_"Although it was announced that the PWT would bring together the competitive resources from fourteen different regions, the 1st Annual Pokémon World Tournament is only bringing in half of that amount due to current budget restraints for the BW Agency. And these seven lucky regions taking part in such a hallmark of all recorded history are Kanto, the Orange Islands, Johto, Hoenn, Unova, Kalos, and the one and only Sinnoh!_**

**_"As you can see here, the Pokémon World Festival is totally _packed _with thousands of people flocking over from all corners of the world, not just the six participating regions! Oh, and believe me, the festivities here have just gotten started! And we at Sinnoh Now will be there all the way, covering the joyful celebrations and, of course, the PWT that is soon to follow. For all of those lovely people back at Sinnoh who unfortunately cannot travel to Lumiose City to experience these festivities for themselves, this is Rhonda for Sinnoh Now, signing out- OOF! OW!"_**

* * *

**The Pokémon Center  
****Route 13, near Lumiose City, Kalos  
****The present day**

Bonnie instantly burst out in fits of loud laughter and pointed at the television screen, which had just shown Rhonda being hit by the boom microphone up close and personal. Ash and Clemont also tried their best to stifle giggles of their own, although Serena watched the television with a worried expression.

"The silly reporter got hit in the face by that microphone thingy!" exclaimed Bonnie as she fell off the sofa the four were sitting on and began slamming her fists down hard on the carpet in her joy. "It was SO funny! AHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHAHA! Did you see that, Clemont?! Did you see it, did you see what happened to her?!"

"DEDENNE!" Dedenne added, also laughing along with its caretaker and unofficial Trainer.

"Now, now, Bonnie," Clemont replied, "you mustn't make fun of people when they get hurt." However, he was still trying to hold back his laughter. "You shouldn't."

"Oh, that Rhonda," said Ash. "She knows how to get her viewers' attention."

"Pika-Pikachu!" added Pikachu in emphasis as he hopped onto his Trainer's shoulder. Ash chuckled happily and began rubbing the underside of the Mouse Pokémon's chin with his index finger, causing it to coo. Then, he suddenly heard a familiar female voice address him and his friends.

"So, are you kids all going over to see the PWT?"

The quartet looked up and saw Nurse Joy approaching them, followed by her Wigglytuff assistant.

"Not only that, we're gonna compete in it!" Ash exclaimed, making a determined fist. "And we're gonna compete to win it!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried.

Joy's eyes brightened up with excitement. "Oh, that's excellent. I hope you all know what you're going up against."

"Yes, as a matter of fact, we do. The Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, and Champions from all six participating regions! Certainly the best challenge out there, and there's no way I'm gonna miss out on that!" He raised his clenched fist in the air to show his determination. "I'll beat all of them, you can bet on that!"

"Now that's some high aspirations, if you ask me!" exclaimed Clemont, smiling nervously.

However, Bonnie beamed. "Well, what do you expect?" she replied. "This is Ash we're talking about! There's nothing he won't try to do!"

"Dedenne!" chirped Dedenne in agreement.

Serena merely nodded her head twice, also in agreement. Clemont chuckled nervously, but said no more. The smile on Joy's face widened slightly.

"Good to see and hear such determination and positive spirit!" she exclaimed. "Well, if you have the chance, would you mind saying hi to my relatives there for me?"

"Relatives?" asked Clemont.

Joy nodded. "Yes. There will be a special Pokémon Center for Trainers participating in the PWT. One Nurse Joy from each participating region will co-supervise the new Pokémon Center together. Let's see... The Joy from Kanto is my second cousin's third cousin, and she works at the Pokémon Center in Celadon City. The Joy from the Orange Islands is the first cousin of my sixth cousin twice removed, and she works at Mikan Island. The Joy from Johto is my third cousin's first cousin once removed, and she works at Blackthorn City. The Joy from Hoenn is my fifth cousin's fifth cousin, and she works at Rustboro City. The Joy from Sinnoh is my other third cousin's second cousin, and she works at Snowpoint City. The Joy from Unova is the fifth cousin thrice removed of my sixth cousin once removed, and she works at Accumula Town. And last, but not least, the Joy representing Kalos is none other than my silly cousin working at Lumiose City!"

She gave the quartet another bright smile. "Can you do that for me? It would be very much appreciated!"

However, all four were merely looking back at the Pokémon nurse with overwhelmed expressions, having to bear with hearing that entire description.

_"Did she expect us to write that down or something?..."_ Ash thought. However, he politely replied, "Sure, we'll do that, Nurse Joy! You have our word on it!"

"Pika pika!" added Pikachu encouragingly.

Joy giggled with excitement. "Oh, how sweet of you!" Then, her wristwatch started beeping, and she looked at it. "Oh, I have to get back to the emergency room! The Pokémon I'm caring for just regained consciousness!" She ran off towards the ER, waving at them as she passed by. "Good luck to all four of you! Have a safe trip!"

"Thanks, Nurse Joy!" the four chorused as the nurse left. Then, Ash turned to his companions.

"So, shall we keep on moving?" he asked.

"You betcha, Ash!" Bonnie exclaimed in response. "I can't wait to see the Pokémon World Festival, and the PWT too!"

"Dedenne!" Dedenne chirped, smiling giddily.

Ash smiled, but before he could continue talking, something caught his attention. He gazed at the rest of the waiting room, where there were a few Trainers mingling, either getting ready for their respective journeys or waiting for their Pokémon as they were being treated. He could sense some mysterious force in the room. At first, he couldn't see absolutely anyone who stood out of the group, and he thought that he was somehow imagining things...

Then...he saw her...

At first, he thought she was a duplicate of Serena, what with her similar taste in clothing. However, he instantly knew his friend was standing right behind him, and that she recently got a change in looks and clothing. No, he was looking at someone else entirely. This girl had brown hair and blue eyes, and was wearing a sleeveless light-blue tank-top, a red skirt, light-blue socks that were sagging, white running shoes with a single red stripe each, a yellow shoulder bag, and a white hat with the top half of a Poké Ball symbol.

Ash blinked, wondering what it was about this girl that caught his attention. Then, his eyes widened when the girl turned around and stared at _him_...

There was a strange smile on her lips...

"Ash? Hello, Ash? Earth to Ash!"

The black-haired Trainer looked to his side and was met with a pair of eyes as blue as the ocean.

"What're you staring at?" Serena asked. Ash noticed that it was the first time his friend had spoken today.

"That girl over there," replied Ash, pointing to the direction the mysterious girl was standing at.

Serena followed the direction of his fingertip, then blinked in confusion. "What girl? I don't see any girl there."

"What?!" Ash looked at the spot where the girl was, but he gasped in shock upon seeing there was no one there. The girl was gone.

_"What?"_ he thought. _"But...But that can't be _possible_... I _saw_ her there... I saw her there, and now, she's gone! How'd that happen?!"_

"Ash, are you okay?" Serena asked, catching his attention.

"Pika?" Pikachu leaned closer towards his Trainer's face, inspecting his closest friend.

Looking at Serena, Ash contemplated on telling her about the girl he thought he saw. However, for some reason, something inside him told him to not do so.

So, he replied, "Yeah, yeah I'm okay." He flashed an innocent smile. "I'm fine, really. I just thought I saw someone familiar, that's all. But it looks like I was wrong."

Serena blinked. "Okay..." She then smiled. "I thought we were gonna start going to Lumiose City right now?"

"Oh yeah, of course!" Ash ran up to the entrance of the Pokémon Center and waited for his friends to catch up with him. "Well, what're we waiting for? Let's go."

* * *

**On Route 13**

"Man, I can't wait till we get to Lumiose City and begin participating in the PWT!"

"Pika pika!"

With an excited smile, Ash held his hand high up in the air, towards the sun, and clenched it into a fist, as if he was trying to catch it. The Trainer was leading the rest of the group as they walked up the side of the hill. They all knew that behind this hill was their intended destination: the beautiful Lumiose City.

"So we've heard, Ash," replied Serena, smiling.

"I wonder what other things they have in the PWD other than Gym Leaders?..." asked Bonnie.

"It's PW_T_, Bonnie," Clemont said, "and according to this brochure-" He pulled the pamphlet out from his pocket and opened it up to a particular page. "-there's more to the PWT than just Gym battles. While they're the main competition, there's a lot of other competitions in there as side-offers. There's Pokémon Musicals, Pokémon Baccer, PokéRinger, Clubsplosion, Pokémon Orienteering, Pokémon Racing, the Battle Frontier, the Battle Chateau, Pokéathlon-" His eyes widened. "Oh Serena, there's also Poké Puff Contests being held as a side-competition in the PWT! You could probably participate in those, since you're not the battling type."

Serena immediately beamed at this mention. "Yep, I'm SO participating in that one!" She leaned close to Clemont to look at the brochure. "What about Showcases?"

Clemont blinked and began blushing furiously. Despite having traveled with Serena for months now, this was the first time the two had been standing so close to each other. And besides his sister, he had never been in such close proximity to another girl before. It was just so embarrassing for him. He could smell her hair...

"_Hello_, Clemont!" Serena said sarcastically, catching his attention.

"W-Wh-What?" he stuttered nervously, but she didn't notice his behavior.

"I asked if there were any Showcases offered in the PWT as a side-offer." When Clemont was silent, she continued, "So...are there? Or are there not?"

"Huh? Oh, oh, that's right..." The aspiring inventor glanced nervously at the brochure and began reading the list of side-competitions. "Oh, yes. There are Showcases being featured in the PWT." He looked back up at Serena and smiled, his frame trembling by this point. "I guess you're in the clear on this one, huh Serena?"

"Mm-hm!" Serena smiled brightly and picked up the pace, distancing herself from Clemont, causing him to sigh in relief.

"Oh, I just remembered something!" Bonnie exclaimed. "Clemont, you're the Lumiose Gym Leader!"

"Technically, I still am. Why?"

Ash caught onto Bonnie's point and asked for her, "Yeah, doesn't that mean you're gonna be participating in the PWT as one of Kalos's Gym Leaders?"

Clemont began blushing again. "Y-Y-Y-Ye-Yeah, I-I think s-s-so..."

"Well, since I'm gonna participate in the PWT, I guess this means we'll be facing each other in battle! And right before our Gym battle too! May the best Trainer win!"

The inventor blinked and looked down at the ground. There seemed to be some unknown emotion etched on his face; his glasses were flashing with the sunlight.

"Yeah, may the best Trainer win..." he replied with an almost somber tone.

Ash raised an eyebrow, noticing something wrong with his friend. "Hey Clemont, are you okay?"

Clemont looked back up at Ash and flashed an innocent smile.

"Yeah, yeah I'm okay," he replied. "In fact, I'm better than okay! Let's get to Lumiose City right now, shall we?!"

With that, Clemont stuffed the brochure back into his pocket and began running up the hill, much to the surprise of the others. Bonnie was especially suspicious.

"Huh, that's weird," she said. "Clemont would never run up a hill with that kind of excitement..."

"Dedenne..." added Dedenne, feeling its caretaker's suspicions.

However, Ash laughed and ran after his friend. "Who cares, guys? Even Clemont's excited to get the PWT underway! Come on, better catch up, guys!"

And with that, the entire group was running up the hill, laughing happily as they went, with the exception of Clemont, whose laughs were laced with nervousness.

* * *

Little did the four know that, up in the sky, they were being secretly observed. In the conspicuous Meowth hot-air balloon, a familiar trio spied on the group with their advanced binoculars. Grins of malice slowly appeared on their faces the moment they focused on Ash's Pikachu.

"Just you wait, Pikachu," Jessie said.

"Pretty soon, we'll get you," said James.

"Better count ya blessings!" Meowth exclaimed, snickering. "'Cause dis time, we'll win fa sure! Ha!"

Suddenly, Team Rocket's evil moment was interrupted by a loud, abrupt ringing, which startled James.

"Oh, dear!" he cried. "What is that?!"

"Dat's da Team Rocket communication device!" replied Meowth, pointing at the blue-haired man's pocket. "Someone's callin'!"

James immediately pulled out the device from his pocket. Upon inspecting it, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Hey, it's the boss!"

"The boss?!" Jessie exclaimed.

"Well, let's hear it, den!" cried Meowth as he, Jessie, and James assembled around the device.

James pressed a button, but all they saw on the screen was a distorted image of their employer, cut off occasionally by bouts of static. They could hear his voice, but as with the image, it was occasionally being cut off from the static as well. James raised an eyebrow and tried adjusting the antenna.

"Jess- ... -mes- ... urge- ... -atter ... You must- ... -cover..."

"What's going on, James?" Jessie demanded impatiently.

"Yeah!" added Meowth. "We can't hear da boss well!"

"Signal's gone haywire..." James replied as he continued trying to adjust the antenna. "The balloon's at a good height too. We may be in an area with bad reception."

"Oh, great. We can't even hear from da boss 'bout how we're da best and how he's continuin' ta trust us ta do our best fa Team Rocket!"

James sighed as he lowered the device. "Great, can't get a good signal." He then looked at the device. "I'm very sorry, sir! We can't hear you! Bad reception! We will get back to you once we're in a clearer area! Just sit tight and wait, sir!" Suddenly, the device's screen went black. "Huh? What in the world?"

"_Now_ what happened?" Jessie asked, rolling her eyes.

Inspecting the device briefly, James sighed upon spotting something. "Battery low," he replied.

"Aw, great!" Meowth snapped. "And dose were our last batteries!"

"Guess we're gonna have to make a stop at Lumiose City and get ourselves some more," said Jessie.

"Yes, that's right," James replied, but his face became somber. "Except..."

"Except what?" Jessie's eyes widened, and a furious frown appeared on her face. "Oh, please don't tell me-"

James chuckled nervously and tried to smile innocently. "We're totally _broke_-"

Jessie's screams of outrage and frustration, along with James's cries of helplessness, were heard for miles.

* * *

Pikachu's ears twitched, and the Mouse Pokémon began looking around as Ash stopped running. Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie noticed this and stopped running too.

"Hey, Ash, what's wrong?" asked Serena.

"I swear, I can hear someone yelling," Ash replied, looking behind him, but seeing no one besides Serena and Bonnie there.

"I don't hear anyone yelling," Clemont remarked.

"Well, whoever it is I'm hearing, I'm sure someone's gotta be quite mad at someone else..."

* * *

**Team Rocket Emergency Headquarters  
****Location top-secret**

Giovanni grunted as the large screen went black. "What in Arceus's name happened there, Matori?!" he demanded. "Why'd we lose them?!"

"It appears they might be experiencing bad reception on their end, sir," the secretary replied.

"Actually," another grunt with purple hair said as he manned a projector, "they seem to have lost their device. I cam't seem to reestablish our connection with them-"

The syndicate leader grunted as he stood up with enough force to knock his chair over, startling Matori, the Team Rocket grunt, and even his Persian.

"I can't believe this!" he roared. "Team Rocket has been reduced to its weakest state for the first time, we are on high alert, our goal of complete world domination is about to be usurped by some _wannabes_, we are out of other options, and I CANNOT be able to contact my _three best agents_! Can this day get any worse than this?!"

"Please, sir," Matori said calmly, "I need you to calm down. The-"

"DON'T YOU TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! CAN'T SEE YOU, MATORI?! WE ARE AT **WAR**, AND FOR ONCE, TEAM ROCKET IS NOT COMING OUT ON TOP!"

"They will not come out on top if you are behaving this way, sir. How do you think Team Rocket got to its current state of power?"

Giovanni looked down at the carpeted floor. "Because of me...and my leadership..."

"That's right, sir. And Team Rocket needs you to remain strong, for its members. Otherwise, it will never come out on top. _We_ will never come out on top of this war."

"Yes..._yes_..." The leader looked up at the blank screen with a face of new determination. "Yes, that's right..." He glared at Matori. "Petrel?"

The grunt manning the projector came to full attention. "Yes, sir?"

"Find the coordinates of Jessie, James, and Meowth."

"Sure thing, sir." The purple-haired man prepared to leave, but stopped and looked back. "Wh-What for, sir? We lost our connection with them-"

"We need to pinpoint where they're headed. We mustn't waste our time trying to reestablish communications with them. As the minutes pass, the Syndicate is getting closer and closer to achieving its goal, whatever it may be, and Team Rocket will suffer once it does. No, we NEED Jessie, James, and Meowth as soon as possible! So, find their last known coordinates and assign Cassidy and Butch to find them using that information. They're our best hope in bringing down the Syndicate for good!"

"Yes, sir!"

And with that, Petrel left the office, leaving Matori behind with Giovanni. The syndicate leader smiled.

"Matori?"

"Yes, sir?" asked the secretary.

Giovanni chuckled lightly, still facing the blank screen. "What in the world would I do without you?"

Matori smiled slightly and bowed. "You're welcome, sir."

Giovanni's smile merely widened. "Contact _him_. Hopefully he has more info on the Syndicate from his end of things."

"Yes, sir."

Matori left the office, to which Giovanni set his chair back to its former position. He then sat back down on it, wheeled it around so he was facing his polished wooden desk, and rested both of his arms on the surface of it. He rested his cheek on his left palm, just as his Persian rubbed its head against his thigh.

"Yes," he said as he began to stroke Persian's head. "Team Rocket _will_ triumph in this newest debacle. No doubt about it. And soon, we _will_ accomplish our goals..."

* * *

**On Route 13**

"Hey, wait up, Ash!" Serena called as she continued running alongside Bonnie up the hill. "You don't want us to get separated again, now do you?!"

"Then you Slowpokes better catch up!" replied Ash loudly, still smiling. "HAHAHA!"

The two girls began running faster, with Serena smiling brightly at Ash all the way up the hill. It had been three months since she had been separated from him in the forest between Santalune City and Cyllage City. Since then, she made great progress in finding a goal for herself, and that goal was to become a Pokémon Performer. She even participated in her first Pokémon Showcase, even though she lost. But it didn't matter. She was one step closer to making decisions of her own. Now, her next step was to actually win a Pokémon Showcase, after her previous loss. Then, she could prove _him_ wrong...

The honey-haired Trainer suddenly shuddered at the memory. There was definitely no way she would want to meet up with him again, even if it was to show him that he had been wrong the entire time... No, she wanted to put that part of her journey behind her. Her concern now was to accomplish her goal and find herself.

Despite that, though, Serena still held her crush on Ash, and she was still determined to win his heart. That, she guaranteed to herself, was her other goal.

Next, she looked at Bonnie, who was running by her side, Dedenne perched on the top of her blonde head. Serena smiled widely, then looked back at Ash.

_"Don't worry, Ash, Bonnie, Clemont,"_ she thought to herself. _"I'll make you all proud. I'll stand up for myself, no matter what happens. After all, it's just like what you told me a long time ago, Ash. Never give up till the end. ...Yes. That's what I'm gonna do. I shall hold those six words close to my heart as I reach my dreams..."_

* * *

**678 Vernal Avenue  
Lumiose City, Kalos**

The nicely-paved asphalt streets and cobblestone sidewalks of Lumiose City had been extremely busy. Now, with the unexpected announcement that the PWT would be held in Lumiose, they became even more crowded with vehicles and pedestrians, with a large number of those people visiting from multiple different regions from all around the world. Never before in its history had the city experienced such a tremendous boost in both tourism and general population.

However, the fact that there was a great amount of people present in the streets had its disadvantages as much as it had its advantages. For example, a suspicious-looking person was mingling in the crowd, taking advantage of their numbers to blend in and appear normal. However, he or she was already unsuccessful at that due to the large hat, dark sunglasses, and black trench-coat this man was wearing. It was this strange taste of clothing that was attracting more than a few curious eyes.

Upon reaching the doorway of 678 Vernal Avenue, the man looked around to see if anyone was watching or following him. Then, he knocked on the door three times in a smooth, rhythmic pattern. Several seconds later, the door opened up, revealing a tall, thin man with gray eyes and red, stringy hair. Upon spotting his disguised compatriot, the second man snickered in a malevolent, high-pitched tone that sent chills down the first man's spine.

"I think the whole point of a disguise was so it wouldn't attract attention, lil' Nick..." the second man jeered.

The first man slouched sadly. "But these look _so_ cool on me, Lloyd..." he moaned in response.

Lloyd snickered again. "The boss is gonna be _so_ mad at you. How much did that crap cost?"

"...My entire wallet..."

"Yep. You're dead." The red-haired man let out a small yet high-pitched and sadistic cackle. "This is gonna be _savory_... Did you at least get the goods he requested?"

Nick sadly procured two plastic bags, both filled with food and water. "I'm not _completely_ dumb, ya know."

"Uh-huh. You just wish to be."

"Hey!"

Lloyd snickered again, but allowed Nick to step inside the house. After closing the door and locking it, Lloyd followed his accomplice to the living room, where the two found a man seated on a sofa, tinkering with unknown objects on the glass table. They couldn't see the right side of his face, but the left side sported neatly-combed, wavy green hair with golden streaks and a yellow eye that seemed to glint with malice. The yellow pupil flicked menacingly at the duo, and it eyed Nick.

"What in heaven's name are you wearing?" he asked.

"S-S-Some s-stuff I b-b-bo-bought a-at t-th-the s-s-store..." stuttered Nick, sensing his impending doom.

"Really. And how much did this _stuff_ cost?"

"His entire wallet, boss," Lloyd piped, accompanying the response with a menacing giggle.

The man raised an eyebrow. "His. Entire. _Wallet_..."

"It wasn't my fault, boss!" exclaimed Nick, waving his hands. "The clothes just looked _so_ good, so I just HAD to purchase them! I thought it'd make a good disguise!"

"A good disguise." The man stood up and turned his back on his inferiors, his fists clenched. "Let's see, you thought that wearing dark sunglasses, a large hat, and a black trench-coat _in the middle of a hot summer_ would qualify as _a good disguise_." Nick gulped at that remark. "Is that right, Nick? Am I not mistaken?"

"N-N-No. I-I mean yes, you are not mistaken, boss! You aren't!"

The man twirled around, revealing the other side of his face and causing Nick to gasp sharply at the sight of it, despite having seen it hundreds of times already. The right side of his face was clothed in a surgical fabric, with an eye-hole that exposed the man's bloodshot eye, its yellow pupil rather eerily pale. There were also a pair of large threads sewn in an X-shaped pattern over the area where the right side of his mouth should be, in order to keep a fabric tear in its place. However, due to the curve it took, it looked as if the man was always grinning on the right side of his face. It was an appearance that always made Nick cringe in fear.

"And so," snapped the man, "you still _wasted_ your money on those ridiculous clothes, despite your knowledge that we're BROKE! Isn't that right?!"

"Y-Y-_Yes_..." Nick replied fearfully.

"I can't believe this!" The man clutched his face with his hands. "We're dangerously low on money, we're wanted criminals, we're a man down..." He moaned loudly in distress. "My goodness, this ransom plan of yours had better work, Nick! Otherwise, I'm gonna give you a throttling like no other!"

"My Arceus, relax, Adam," a male voice said. The three watched as two additional people emerged from another room. One was a man with spiky light-blue hair and beady black eyes, and was wearing a brown leather jacket, a grimy white undershirt, and torn light-brown jeans. The other was a young woman with chin-length red hair and piercing bright green eyes, who was wearing a black tank-top, skin-tight blue jeans, and dark-brown sunglasses.

"How in the world am I supposed to relax, Sid?!" snapped the man named Adam. "I've got all these problems breathing down my neck, and-"

"If there's one pet peeve I have about you," the man interrupted, "it's your inability to control your temper."

"You've always been such a sore loser," added the woman, shrugging dismissively.

"Well then," Adam snarled, "why don't you two _geniuses_ just report us already? Huh? _Huh_?!"

"We have an enterprise on the side to maintain, Adam," Sid replied. "We've already got eyes on it as it is."

"Then, I guess we're stuck with each other!" Adam collapsed on the sofa. "What is your report, Cecile? Unless you're just here to bug me, as usual..."

"We should be able to have easy access to the BW Agency Presidents," the woman replied. "We just need to have the secret password."

"Secret password?" Nick asked.

Cecile glared daggers at him, causing him to cringe again. "Well, it's the BW Agency Presidents we're talking about. Of course there's gonna be security, which is with no doubt gonna check the legitimacy of all the news crews that report on them. How are the real ones supposed to get through security without that password?"

"Is it being worked on right now?" Adam asked as he continued tinkering with the unknown devices.

"Yes. It's being worked on as we speak. We should get it by tomorrow at best."

The green-haired villain smirked. "Good boy..." Then, he stood up. "Soon, _very_ soon, we're gonna have the best payday of our lives, men!"

"Oh my, I love paydays!" Nick exclaimed, giggling with delight.

"And once we get the money we need from this scheme," Adam continued, "we will rise back to prominence! No one will forget our names!"

"Oh my, I love prominence!" Nick exclaimed, giggling with delight.

Adam then clenched his left fist in determination. "And hopefully, while we are at it, I could probably find that foolish little girl and her stupid little Fennekin, and all of her bothersome little friends." His lips curved into a malevolent, almost maniacal grin. "And then, I believe I shall get my well-deserved revenge!"

"Oh my, I love revenge!" Nick exclaimed, giggling with delight.

With that, Adam burst into loud and malicious laughter. As he laughed away to his heart's content, his mind began formulating many scenarios on how he would carry out his revenge on Serena and Fennekin, each of the scenarios more disturbing than the last. He knew he couldn't wait for that time to come...

* * *

**Room 439  
The International Police Academy Dormitory  
Location top-secret**

"What _is_ this, Nate?"

Looker stared around the dorm room, whose walls were decorated nearly to the brim photos, newspaper clippings, sketches, and personal notes. Strands of thread in different colors stretched from one wall to the next, being held in place by pins. There were so much threads hanging that Looker had to sometimes duck down so he could navigate his way through the room as he was being guided by the Academy student. As he did, Nate flashed a nervous smile.

"Well, as you can see," he replied, "I don't get much visitors." The boy glared around at his handiwork. "This is all the research I _wasn't_ able to bring to the meeting."

"All of _this_?" Looker looked around as well. "You assembled all of _this_ in just six months?"

"I already had enough to go on with the Pokémon Criminal Registry's followings."

"And what else did you have to go on?"

Nate blinked. "E-Excuse me?..."

Looker looked at the student, a glint in his eye. "I am an agent for the International Police, kid. I'm trained to look for all the facts. And something tells me that your sources were not limited to just the Pokémon Criminal Registry, whose databases only specify general information about the criminal activities they monitor." He gave a grunt and closed his eyes. "No, you had to have at least one other source to help support your argument. So-" He opened his eyes. "-What is your other source?"

"I-If I t-tell you-"

"There's no if," interrupted the agent. "Just like that guard said back there, you may have done more than just interrupting a top-secret meeting between the General Assembly and the agency's best officers. If you did do something else, it's best if you spill it out now, to save you any further trouble." He crossed his arms. "_So_?..."

Nate was silent for a moment. Then, he pursed his lips and looked up at Looker.

"I didn't just look into the PCR," he replied. "I...I also looked into the databases of the G-Men and the Ranger Union."

Looker's eyes widened in shock. "You _what_?! How'd you manage to get into their databases?! Their respective security systems rival our own!"

"I..." The boy sighed and closed his eyes. "I hacked into them..."

"You hacked into them." He narrowed his eyes. "Who helped you?"

Nate opened his eyes. "You know about that too?"

"You're a mere student at the Academy. Only A-rank agents are allowed to hack into any kind of database, _ethically_ so. Tell me, _who_ helped you?..."

Nate let out a heavy sigh, took a deep breath, and blurted out in response, "Julio Songer."

Again, Looker's eyes widened, this time in horror, and a bead of sweat broke out on the side of his head. Julio Songer was a hacker and the leader of an organization of hackers that became a subject of great controversy eight years ago after they began leaking classified documents, which exposed government activities regarding mass surveillance, business taxation, and medical care related to certain types of Pokémon, subsequently bringing numerous government entities under scrutiny. The hacker organization was headquartered in a location unknown to the regional governments and the public.

"You...You managed to get into contact with Julio Songer?!" he exclaimed.

"Through extensive searching and other contacts," elaborated Nate.

"Do you have any idea how many government entities are looking for Songer and his organization?!"

"A whole lot." The student sighed heavily. "Which means I could be prosecuted for hacking into the G-Men and Ranger Union databases, and for being an accessory to illegal hacking." Then, he gritted his teeth angrily. "But it was for a very good cause, Agent Looker! I noticed these abrupt shifts of criminal activities worldwide, and I needed to take a closer look! And look at what I found!" He pointed to the notes, photos, and clippings that lined the walls of his room. "All of this!"

"And exactly what _is_ all of this?"

Nate narrowed his eyes. "The formation of a criminal organization consisting of criminal organizations."

Looker blinked in confusion. "Pardon me?..."

"It's exactly what you heard, Agent Looker. From all that I found, I have every reason to believe that there's someone recruiting all of these organizations and uniting them under a single goal." He approached a second, smaller whiteboard, which had printings of unknown online articles clipped to it. "Come take a look."

Looker sighed and reluctantly approached the second whiteboard. That was when he noticed a word written above the article clippings in red marker ink.

"'Benefactor'?" he read.

Nate nodded. "An unknown crime figure who is purported to serve as a sort of crossroads between all criminals and criminal enterprises in the world. It is said that he has done some sort of business with every single criminal there is in the world. No one knows his name or where he is, since he uses different aliases and never stays in a single place for too long. You can talk to your average street thug around the corner about the Benefactor, and he'll recognize the name. According to interviews, you can get into contact with the Benefactor by writing his name three times on a sheet of paper, putting that paper inside an envelope, and leaving it in any mailbox around the world. He will respond to you in three days, no more, no less, with a handwritten note that's written in code."

"In other words," Looker replied in a deadpan tone, "you are saying the boogeyman of crime in itself is responsible for these strange shifts in the patterns of criminals and syndicates, as well as the escapes of Teams Galactic and Plasma." He scoffed, causing Nate's skin to go pale. "I can't believe I'm wasting my time with this-"

"I know it sounds ridiculous, Agent Looker!" exclaimed Nate. "But there's no other explanation! It can't simply be a coincidence that every single criminal organization has suddenly switched gears in a steady four-year period! That Teams Galactic, Plasma, Aqua, and Magma were able to escape from their prisons at the same time-"

"Hold on, hold on. Teams Aqua and Magma _escaped_ from their prisons?"

"Well, I did just say Teams Galactic and Plasma weren't the only ones who escaped. Same with Teams Aqua and Magma. Their escapes happened on the same day as the escapes of Teams Galactic and Plasma, but the General Assembly wouldn't know about that because those escapes are being handled by the G-Men. However, all four mass escapes display the same M.O., the same coordination, the same efficiency, all the way down to the escape by air!"

"Still..." Looker glanced at the second whiteboard. "I find it pretty implausible that an urban myth like the Benefactor is responsible for all of this..."

"Well then, who, or what do _you_ think is responsible?"

"I..." Looker sighed and shook his head. "I have absolutely no idea..." Then, he cleared his throat once. "But that doesn't mean your explanation is instantly right."

"You still don't trust me?" Nate looked up at the agent with eyes shimmering with reckless determination. "Agent Looker, I have done all my research into this. I know _exactly_ what I am doing here. I understand all of this, I understand the Benefactor just as much as you understood Teams Galactic and Plasma!"

The agent looked away at the mention of the two organizations. Nate stepped closer to Looker, an eyebrow raised.

"Is...Is everything alright?" he asked. Then, he examined Looker's posture, and his eyes narrowed slightly. "No one told you, didn't they?..."

"Told me about what?"

"The escapes of Teams Galactic and Plasma. They didn't inform you beforehand, did they? Despite the fact that you investigated them for months. You were the agent responsible for bringing them to justice, for Arceus's sake! And they didn't tell you a thing? They just treated you like any other agent being given his or her mission?"

Looker pursed his lips. "I am not one to judge the decisions of the General Assembly."

"Well, maybe you should." The boy crossed his arms. "Surely they know what you did to get Teams Galactic and Plasma behind bars in the first place, do they not?"

"Yes, yes they should. I delivered my final reports to them in person, as a matter of fact..." He gritted his teeth, an angry grunt issuing from his mouth. "And they did not tell me a single thing about their escapes." However, he regained his calm composure and straightened out his suit. "Still, that doesn't give you any sort of excuse to bring me over to your side and assist you in presenting all of your evidence before the General Assembly..." He looked around the room again. "It does NOT matter how much of this is factual and accurate; there's no way the General Assembly will believe the words of a mere student of the International Police Academy."

"Well," replied Nate, closing his eyes, "like my father once said, as long as there's something to support what you stand for, then it's gotta be better than just nothing. And as long as there is something to support what you stand for, then you should make your stand with all of your determination, to the very end."

Looker's eyes softened. To him, those words sounded familiar for some reason...

"It sounds like your father was quite the bold type..."

"He was." Nate opened his eyes. "I'm surprised you don't remember. I expected better from you."

"Oh, believe me, kid..." Looker twirled around and glared at the boy. "I never forgot. Not at all."

Nate flashed an energetic, youthful smile. "Oh well, that's a relief."

* * *

**On Route 13**

Finally, after several minutes of running, Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie reached the top of the hill, where they stopped. Despite having started out in the lead of the quartet, Clemont's lack of athleticism quickly caught up to him, and he found himself at the rear of the group again, while Ash took the lead. As soon as Clemont caught up to his friends, all four of them gazed in awe at the sight of faraway Lumiose City, whose buildings were almost illuminated by the morning sunlight.

"Whoa, look at that, guys!" Ash exclaimed.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu in wonder.

"It's Lumiose City!" Serena said.

"YAY!" shouted Bonnie as she began jumping up and down. "See that, Clemont?! It's Lumiose City! And that means we're almost home!"

"Dedenne!" Dedenne added excitedly.

"Hooray..." moaned Clemont, weakly raising a fist in the air.

"Hey, Ash?" Serena asked.

"Yeah, Serena?" replied Ash as he looked at his friend.

"Didn't you say you challenged all of the Gym Leaders in Kanto, the Orange Islands, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova?"

"Yep, every single one of them!" The black-haired Trainer then raised his fist into the air. "And I'm gonna challenge them all again in the PWT! Oh man, I can't wait to meet up with them all once again, after so many years!" He lowered his fist as he stared at Lumiose City nostalgically. "I wonder how they've all been..."

"I'm pretty sure they're all doing fine, Ash."

"Well, I know one thing for sure." A smile of excitement appeared on Ash's face. "They're all gonna be excited to see me!"

"No doubt. I mean, who in their right mind _wouldn't_ be excited to see you after so long?"

Serena blushed slightly at this remark, but Ash didn't notice the honey-haired Trainer's reaction. Then, the Trainer resumed walking down the hill, followed by Serena, Bonnie, and an exhausted Clemont, who groaned in disappointment upon seeing that they were still walking when he thought they were going to take a break. As the quartet descended the hill, Ash put a finger on his chin in wonder as he began dwelling in the realm of his private thoughts.

_"I wonder who else I'm gonna see at the PWT besides the Gym Leaders I challenged,"_ he thought. _"Clemont mentioned the Battle Frontier being held as one of those side-competitions, so I'm definitely gonna see the Frontier Brains like Brandon and Anabel. But...that's all I can think of... What other familiar faces will be there?..."_

* * *

**Hilda White and Hilbert Black's Summer Getaway Mansion  
****The Seventh District  
Lumiose City, Kalos**

"Whoa, look at this _mansion_!" Dawn exclaimed as she stepped out of the limousine.

"Piplup!" chirped her Piplup in agreement.

Indeed, the mansion in front of them was magnificent. It was extremely large and had two floors, two taller bell towers with spires, and a portico with white columns at the main entrance. Situated further in front of the mansion was a large fountain of complex design. It had sculptures of a Snivy, a Tepig, and an Oshawott, clothed fashionably. It was gushing out fresh, clear water. Surrounding the mansion were well-trimmed shrubs of flowers and berries, as well as a row of astounding trees.

Amazed by all of the sights and sounds, Piplup hopped out of Dawn's arms and dashed up to the fountain as fast as he could. There, he admired the sculptures of the three Unova starter Pokémon before looking into the water. Inside were Feebas, Clamperl, Luvdisc, Finneon, Lumineon, Alomomola, and Clauncher.

"Pip-piplup!" exclaimed the Penguin Pokémon as he leaned closer to the water.

"Piplup!" Dawn called. "Come over here!"

"Pip-piplup!" Piplup hopped off the seat of the fountain and ran back to his Trainer, hopping back into her arms.

As he did so, Dawn faced her current companions: her mother Johanna, her good rival Zoey, and their escort, who was a tall, thin man with gray hair and a goatee.

"Isn't this mansion _awesome_, guys?" she asked.

"Yeah, never seen anything like it," replied Johanna as she looked around, inspecting the building.

"What're you talking about?" Zoey asked, an eyebrow raised. "It looks like any other mansion to me."

"But the special thing is that it's home to the BW Agency Presidents Hilda and Hilbert!" exclaimed Dawn gleefully, the Coordinator obviously unable to contain her own excitement. "Ooh, I can't wait to meet them! I need to hear some good fashion advice from Hilda, and I'm pretty sure Hilbert's gotta be the _cutest_!"

Zoey shrugged dismissively. "Whatever you say, Dawn," she replied. "I'm just here for the sightseeing, and the Contests."

"This way, madams," announced the escort in a polite, proper tone. "Ms. White and Mr. Black should be expecting all of you."

The man then began strolling towards the main entrance with Johanna trailing right behind him. Dawn and Zoey looked at one another, grinned with excitement, and began running after them. As the group passed the columns, Dawn, Piplup, Zoey, and Johanna noticed the bases of these columns were sculpted in detailed patterns of Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott frolicking happily. Soon, the gray-haired man approached the wooden front door and began typing several unspecified digits on a small keyboard located on the door-handle. The keyboard then opened up, revealing a golden key, which the man took to unlock the door, allowing him to open it.

"Sir, madam," called the man as he and the others stepped inside the mansion, "it is Jones. I have brought the newest guests."

"Excellent, Jones!" a female voice replied. Dawn had to stifle a girlish squeal. "Bring them to the guestroom. We'll be down shortly. Oh, come on, Hilbert!"

"Is something the matter, madam?" Jones asked, sensing the urgency in his employer's voice.

"No, it's okay. Bring them to the guestroom, Jones, and keep all of our guests occupied!"

"As you wish, madam." Jones turned to Dawn, Piplup, Zoey, and Johanna. "Madams, Piplup, if you'll follow me, please..."

The gentleman led the others to a room to their immediate right. As they walked across the mansion, Dawn and Piplup began admiring the interior decorations of the mansion. It was public knowledge that Hilda White and Hilbert Black were extremely wealthy, but to see that proof up close was another thing entirely. The high-end furniture, all of the classical paintings, the valuable vases and plants scattered throughout, the many different paintings on the ceilings... There was no doubt the BW Agency Presidents possessed wealth and were more than willing to show it to any and all visitors to even their getaway homes.

"Oh my Arceus, DAWN!" a familiar voice shouted.

Dawn came to attention. "Huh? Who- EEK!"

Someone had embraced her in an extremely tight hug. At first, she couldn't recognize the person, but once this person broke the hug, her eyes widened.

"M-M-_May_?!"

May had definitely changed since she last saw her. Her brown hair was noticeably lighter, and her blue eyes were now gray for some reason; Dawn suspected she was wearing contacts for whatever reason. She was wearing a skin-tight red tank-top, white biking shorts with black under-leggings, predominantly yellow running shoes, a pale-yellow purse, and a bright-red headband with a large red-and-white-striped bow. For some reason, Dawn liked the clothes she last saw May in better than the ones she was currently wearing. However, she shrugged off the personal opinions on fashion. After all, May was still a good friend, and here she was, once again.

"In the flesh, Dawn," replied May, in response to her latest utterance.

"Oh my goodness, May!" Dawn exclaimed as she hugged her fellow Coordinator. "It's SO good to see you! It's been a while!"

"Two years, to be precise. It's good to see you and Piplup." May broke the hug and spotted Zoey. "Oh, Zoey! It's so good to see you here as well!"

"A pleasure to see you too, May," greeted Zoey, hugging May as well. "I assume you're here for the Contests offered by the PWT, am I right?"

"Uh-huh. Speaking of which-" A mischievous grin appeared on May's face as she pulled out a photo for Dawn and Zoey to see. "Guess who became Top Coordinator?"

Dawn and Zoey both gasped upon seeing the photo. It was of May holding the Ribbon Cup.

"You're a Top Coordinator now?!" they cried simultaneously.

"Yep. I won the Johto Grand Festival! Best day of my life! EEK!" She put the photo away, still grinning. "How about you two? Which of you two came out on top of the Sinnoh Grand Festival? I wasn't able to watch you guys compete because the Johto Grand Festival was taking place at the same time, so..."

"I did," replied Zoey, smiling proudly.

May squealed in excitement. "Ah, I had a feeling one of you two would've done it! I knew from the moment I first saw you two interacting that it'd be a serious rivalry between you both! Just like my rivalry with Drew. Well, I certainly taught him a thing or two at the Johto Grand Festival! HA HA!"

Dawn chuckled, although there was some nervousness laced in her voice. She couldn't help but feel that May's looks weren't the only things about her that changed...

"So, Dawn," Johanna piped, having watched the entire conversation with curiosity, "this must be the famous May you've told about, huh?"

"Yeah, that's-" Dawn began, but May suddenly ran up to Johanna and began shaking her hand rapidly.

"Oh, oh, you're Johanna, Dawn's mother!" squealed the Top Coordinator.

"Y-Yes, that's me..."

"Oh, it's such an HONOR to meet you! I've seen all the videos of you competing in Contests! My Arceus, you're so wonderful!"

"Oh. W-Why, thank you..."

Dawn could hear the slight nervousness in her mother's voice and sweat-dropped along with Zoey at May's behavior.

"May," a male voice suddenly said, "this is EXACTLY what I mean when I said you're too chipper for your own good..."

The four noticed a boy standing nearby, leaning against the wall coolly. At first glance, Dawn thought this newcomer was Conway, the creeper he was. However, after giving a closer look, she realized he was much younger than Conway, maybe around eleven or twelve years old. He sported long bluish-black hair and dark eyes, and was wearing a green short-sleeved shirt with a large white collar, light-brown cargo pants, and a pair of large glasses. The boy was sneering at May.

"Now you're freaking them out with your _chipper_ behavior, sis."

May immediately released Johanna's hand and fumed at the boy, her face turning steadily red by the minute.

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU, MAX?!" she roared, causing everyone but the boy to flinch. "STOP CALLING ME 'SIS'! YOU'RE NOT SEVEN ANYMORE!"

"I'll keep calling 'sis' as many times as I want..._sis_..." replied the boy jeeringly.

May growled, but before she could lash out at the boy, Dawn suddenly spoke, something in her memory having been triggered.

"Wait a sec, Max, Max..._Max_..." Then, she snapped her fingers. "Oh, I remember, you're May's little brother, aren't you?"

"Tragically so..." Max and May replied simultaneously, just as a door opened and a couple stepped into the hallway.

"May, Max," the woman said sternly, "are you two fighting again?"

"Aw, come on, Caroline!" exclaimed the man, chuckling as if the sibling argument was nothing. "They're having a sibling moment. And besides, they're old enough to make their own decisions." He crossed his arms as he smiled proudly. "I say don't judge them and let them suffer the consequences of their actions."

"Well, I wouldn't judge them if they didn't keep acting like they're still _children_, Norman..."

"Oh, hello there," Johanna greeted, stepping before the couple. "You must be Norman, the Petalburg City Gym Leader! It's nice to meet you!"

"A pleasure to meet you too!" replied Norman. Dawn couldn't help but giggle when she saw the woman named Caroline elbow her husband lightly, since both of them noticed the unusually kind and polite tone laced in Norman's voice; whether or not it was an intentional attribute, she could sense he was the womanizing type.

"Hello, I'm Norman's wife, Caroline," Caroline greeted, smiling innocently at Johanna. "It's a pleasure to meet you too. And I see you've already met my kids."

"Apparently so..." Johanna glanced nervously at May and Max, who were now staring daggers at each other.

"Ladies and gentlemen," piped Jones, who had been observing the entire scene calmly, "if you all please, we must be in the guestroom soon."

"Oh yes, sorry about that, Jones," replied Norman as he and the others followed the gentleman into the room from which he and his wife came out from.

Upon stepping inside, Dawn's eyes widened as she immediately spotted another familiar face, who was currently at the kitchen, preparing some sort of dish that was smelling quite delicious. How many more friends was she going to come across today?

"Well, well, this is certainly a flavorful surprise!"

"Whoa, hey there, Dawn!"

"Wow, Brock, Cilan!" Dawn exclaimed. "You're here too?"

"Yep," replied Brock. "My brother is now the Pewter City Gym Leader and I'm here to cheer them on in the PWT!

"Same here," Cilan added. "I also thought I would check out all the new Pokémon and do some evaluation time between them and their Trainers!" Then, he snapped his fingers. "Oh, I nearly forgot!" The Pokémon Connoisseur rushed towards a simmering pot and tasted its contents. "Mm, this is really good, Brock!"

"What'd I tell you? My cooking knows no bounds!"

"You two know each other?" asked Dawn, blinking in amazement.

"Well," Brock explained, "we came across each other in Johto when we helped out an injured Gyarados. The funny thing is, we never knew we were a friend of Ash's during that encounter. Then, when we met again just a few hours ago, that was when we finally learned what we had in common. And now, we're good friends!"

"More like rivals," Cilan replied jokingly. "We're trying to best each other at cooking."

"Oh, so now it's game on, huh?"

Brock smiled deviously. "I guess it is." Then, he spotted Zoey. "Oh, hey Zoe-"

Before he could complete his sentence, however, May suddenly ran past Johanna, Zoey, and Dawn and stared at the pots of food, the widest smile on her face.

"Are these almost done, guys?!" she exclaimed. "I'm starving and my stomach needs some satisfaction!"

"Not yet, May," Cilan replied as he placed a pot on another spot of the oven. "Just wait a while longer. After all, patience is the best virtue!"

"Oh Arceus, if only my stomach knew the meaning of patience..." the Top Coordinator moaned as she sulked away towards the living room, which Dawn then noticed was filled with several other people, most of whom she recognized as Gym Leaders from the seven regions, including Sinnoh.

Following Dawn's gaze, Brock smiled widely. "Oh, Dawn!" he said.

"Yeah, Brock?"

"There's someone I want you to meet."

Dawn blinked in confusion. "Who?"

* * *

**Lysandre Café  
Magenta Plaza  
Lumiose City, Kalos**

The soft ringing of the bell echoed through the occupied café as Alain stepped inside. Looking around quietly, he couldn't see the person he was looking for anywhere. After all, what with the unusually high tourism rates due to the PWT, there were bound to be an abundance of people enjoying a meal inside. Fortunately, the aspiring Mega Evolution specialist spotted the person he was looking for, sitting at the bar table, having a conversation with one of the waitresses.

Alain silently walked up towards the bar table, having to maneuver his way through the customers that had gotten up from their tables and began walking around for whatever reason. After a few seconds, he reached the table and sat down to the right of the person he sought. Both never faced each other during the conversation.

"My apologies for pulling you out of Hoenn on such short notice, Alain," said Lysandre as he took a sip of his tea.

"It's okay," Alain replied. "Besides, I've been planning on taking part in the PWT for some time now. Might as well seize that opportunity."

"Indeed. There _are_ going to be a lot of strong Trainers present."

"But I assume this is not why you called me over here in the first place, isn't that right?"

Lysandre's eyes narrowed slightly as he lowered his teacup. "Yes... That is correct..."

"I hear there's a dire situation going on."

"A dire situation indeed, Alain. A very dire one, actually." The red-haired man exhaled as he sipped his tea once again. "My connections are informing me that there's people with..._evil_ intentions in the PWT. People who intend to harness and exploit the power of Mega Evolution for their own dastardly purposes."

Alain's eyes narrowed. "That doesn't sound good."

"No, no it doesn't. Alain, I need you to infiltrate the PWT and identify these people for me. One of my agents is already on the inside, and she will assist you."

"Really. Mind telling me the agent's identity?"

"Can't disclose it. But you'll find out once you get inside. Once your mission is done, my connections will handle these people and their employers from here."

The shady Trainer nodded loyally. "Understood, Lysandre. I will do all I can to ensure this is done." Then, his eyes softened. "Will Sycamore be there?"

"No doubt." Lysandre placed his teacup down on the counter. "Don't let your past association with him interfere with the mission. You know why we must do this."

"Trust me, Lysandre, I haven't forgotten even the slightest. I was merely being curious, that is all."

"And don't forget, Steven Stone is also there."

"And you want me to continue my observations of him. I understand, sir." Alain stood up from his chair. "Thank you."

Lysandre raised one of his eyebrows slightly. "You won't stay for lunch? I especially recommend the herbal tea."

"I sincerely appreciate the gesture, Lysandre, but I have work to do."

"Ah yes, that's right." A small grin appeared on Lysandre's face. "I've almost forgotten how dedicated you are to your goal once you're set on it, Alain..."

The businessman took yet another sip of his tea.

* * *

Outside Lysandre Café, Mairin waited beside the door that Alain had gone through, her Chespin clutched in her arms. Even though it took a couple of minutes, the girl had already grown impatient by that time, tapping her foot rapidly. People, civilians and tourists alike, stared at her curiously as they went through the door.

"I wonder who, or what that girl is waiting for?..." a young man whispered to his girlfriend.

The woman grinned and shrugged. "Eh, I don't know," she replied teasingly. "Probably her _boyfriend_. No doubt she's being stood up, though."

"What makes you think that, babe?"

"Look at her attitude. There's no reason for a girl to act that way, other than being let down by the one she loves the most."

The man chuckled. "Man, babe, you sound like a real expert at women. You should probably write a book or two on the subject."

"Maybe I should!"

The couple then began laughing in unison as they passed Mairin and entered the café along with several other people. Fortunately, the young Trainer didn't hear their conversation, otherwise it would've served as a great embarrassment for her. A few seconds after the couple went in, Alain emerged from the building, his usual stoic expression in place on his face. Mairin struggled to hold in a yell of anger as she stood in front of her newfound friend, her eyes wide with irritation.

"What took you so long?!" she growled.

"It was only for a couple of minutes," replied Alain as he began walking past her. "You should probably learn to maintain your patience."

"But I wanted to know what you two were talking about!" Mairin began following the shady Trainer. "It must've been really important!"

"It's nothing that concerns you. It's the sole reason why I told you to stay outside while I had my meeting."

"But I wanna help with your mission! I wanna help you find lots of Mega Evolved Pokémon and defeat them! I wanna have a Mega Evolved Pokémon of my own! I-"

"You're far from getting a Pokémon that can Mega Evolve," interrupted Alain. "First and foremost, you need to have a Pokémon that you _know_ will be capable of Mega Evolving. Then, you need to have a Mega Stone that corresponds with the type of Pokémon that you have, along with a Key Stone. And last but not least, you _need_ to have a strong bond between you and your Pokémon, a bond that will never break even under the direst of circumstances. The last one can especially be hard for one as..._inexperienced_ as yourself to achieve. You need to have all of those points in mind before you go about in search of a Pokémon that can Mega Evolve."

To his surprise, however, Mairin had been taking notes on a small notepad during his entire explanation.

"Alright," she said, "have a Pokémon that can _definitely_ Mega Evolve. Okay. Get a Mega Stone and a Key Stone. Alright, whatever those look like. Have a strong bond between you and the Pokémon. High priority." The red-haired Trainer put away her notepad. "Alright, got it! Thanks for the pointers, Alain!"

The black-haired Trainer grunted with some unknown emotion. "You speak as if it's the easiest thing in the world."

"Well, I've been keeping track of all the Pokémon you encounter! All I gotta do is single out one Mega Evolved Pokémon I like, capture one of the same species, get a Mega Stone and Key Stone, and bond with the Pokémon until we're the best of friends! It's the simplest math one came come up with!" She then raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "By the way, Alain, where do you get yourself a Mega Stone and a Key Stone? I didn't notice any stores that were selling those things-"

"They're extremely rare," Alain interrupted again, "and they're not some pawn items that are sold in every store you see."

That revelation took Mairin aback.

"W-W-_WHAT_?!"

"I told you it would be difficult."

* * *

Back inside Lysandre Café, Lysandre began chatting with the waitress again. She had blue hair that was styled in two rings, one hanging from each side of her head, and also blue eyes and lips applied with blue lipstick. Both were observing Alain and Mairin as both Trainers were walking away from the building.

"You think we should be relying on this kid to help us find out about this Syndicate?" the woman asked.

"Malva can only do so much as a member of the Kalos Elite Four," replied Lysandre. "And besides, Aliana isn't in a good position to give us any reliable information on them from the inside... We must deal with this from a different angle. And what better way to gain insight than from the point-of-view of a PWT challenger? Xerosic is confident in his data, and he is rarely wrong. There _is_ at least one Syndicate agent inside the PWT, and we must identify him or her before he or she compromises our objective." He sipped his tea and looked at the waitress. "How are our guests holding up back there, Mable? Well, I assume?"

* * *

**Lysandre Labs  
Hidden within Lysandre Café**

_**"Yes, they're doing well, sir."**_

_**"Good."**_

Diancie's eyelids fluttered open, and the Jewel Pokémon found herself staring up at a set of lights. At first, the princess didn't remember what happened prior to her losing consciousness. Then, her memory began to return to her, and she tried to look at her hands on instinct, but for some reason, she felt _chained down_...

"Ah, I see you're coming to, princess," a voice said.

Diancie immediately began looking around, her head being the only thing that was mobile. From what she was able to see, it appeared that there were iron shackles encompassed around her limbs and torso. She recognized the advanced mechanical devices, all of which were displaying all sorts of what the humans called 'data'.

Then, a man approached her, a kind grin on his face. He had skin as white as snow, and three rows of reddish-orange hair on his otherwise bald head, the middle row of which extended upward in a tall spike. He was also wearing a lab-coat with a small tie, pants, and circular eye-protection goggles that were colored reddish-orange just like his hair, with the exception of his silver gloves and dark-gray earpiece. Diancie recognized him after a few seconds.

"Mr. Xerosic?" she asked. Then, she realized her mouth _moved_. She communicated with others with telepathy, not with her own mouth...

Noticing Diancie's surprised expression, the man replied, "Confused? Well, let me bring you back to speed. With our technology, we've managed to give you the pitch-perfect disguise." He grabbed a hand-mirror from a nearby table and showed it in front of Diancie's face. "Here, have a look-see..."

The princess's eyes widened in surprise, and she desperately wanted to take the mirror from Xerosic's hands. In front of her was not _her_, but a _human_...

She still had the same physical characteristics from her form as a Pokémon, but obviously converted to make her appear more human-like. She had flowing pink hair and eyes with red pupils, and her previously dark-gray skin was now turned into a fair white, resembling the skin of her friends Serena and Bonnie. She was wearing human clothes, which consisted of a white dress, a long light-blue skirt that flowed out from underneath the white skirt, a golden necklace with a large pink jewel that glittered with the light, and a crown that was made up of pink crystals and a pink diamond that served as the centerpiece. Diancie gazed in awe at her appearance.

Xerosic smiled after a few seconds. "You look magnificent, Princess Diancie. Or should I say...Princess Diane?"

Diancie looked at Xerosic. "Princess _Diane_?"

"Yes. That will be the name you must assume whenever you are out in public." The scientist pulled out a remote and pressed on a button, which caused the shackles binding Diancie to retract back into the chair she was lying on, allowing her to sit up and examine her hands out of curiosity. "And _don't_ forget it."

Diancie merely continued to stare at her hands... Her _human_ hands...

* * *

**Unknown location**

The watery sludge, the enclosed space, the glass that separated her from the outside world...

Mewtwo's eyes shot open as soon as she remembered the first day she opened her eyes and found herself in this world. It was never a pleasant memory for her, and she continued to have terrifying nightmares about it from time to time... Today's instance wouldn't have been any different if...if...

_**"**_**Why_?"_**

**_"What did that thing mean when it asked that?..."_** she thought.

Then, the Genetic Pokémon sat up and found herself sitting on a bed... A human bed...

"Um..."

A surprised Mewtwo immediately changed into her other form and prepared to fire an Aura Sphere. However, she immediately halted her attack once she spotted the woman who was standing in the doorway of the room she was in. She recognized her as the mother of the two children who had attempted to tend to her in the park during her battle. In the woman's hands was a tray of human-made food and berries that Pokémon loved to eat, presumably handpicked...

"AGH!" the woman cried. "Please don't hurt me! I was just trying to help!"

Sensing the woman's fear, Mewtwo promptly reverted back to her original form and dissipated her Aura Sphere.

**"I-I am sincerely sorry, human,"** she said apologetically. **"I was surprised by you, that is all..."**

"Oh..." Then, a small grin appeared on the woman's face. "I...I hope you like this Pokémon food... It's normally for our Eevee, but-"

However, Mewtwo smiled back. **"I think I can manage. Thank you."**

"Oh, you're very welcome..." A confused look became etched on the woman's face. "My children and I never got your name... What is it?..."

**"Mewtwo,"** replied the Genetic Pokémon. **"My name is Mewtwo. It is an honor to meet you."**

* * *

**Celestic Town Historical Research Center  
****Celestic Town, Sinnoh**

The armored truck approached the security gate outside the research center, its engine roaring. Inside it, the driver was rocking his head back and forth slightly as he listened to some music on his earphones. Two security guards and their Pokémon, an Arcanine and a Houndoom, approached the truck. They then noticed the driver's inattentiveness and tried to get his attention, but it appeared that he was too engrossed in the music to listen. Finally, one of the guards knocked hard on the window of his door, which startled the young man. With a hurried, almost embarrassed motion, he rolled down the window, removed his earphones, and smiled at the guard.

"Oh, sorry 'bout that," he said. "Really catchy music."

"Just show me your ID, kid," barked the guard in response.

The man chuckled nervously and took out his wallet.

* * *

"Arceus, I hate technology sometimes. And that's coming from a scientist."

Inside the building, the elderly woman watched with patience as the two iron doors slid open, revealing the chamber that held only two glass containers and nothing else. She was rubbing her right eye as her two companions, both security guards, approached the glass containers to thoroughly inspect on their contents.

"Well, you _are_ the one who requested the new security measures in the first place, Professor Carolina," one of the guards replied. "After all, anything can happen now that Team Galactic's escaped." He turned away from his glass container. "The Adamant Orb and the Lustrous Orb both must be secure as we make this transfer."

"Does it look like I _understand_ that, young man?!" barked the woman as she stopped rubbing her eye. "But I was just wondering, must the vision in my right eye be potentially sacrificed as a result? I mean, I do read and write papers for a living." Her eyes then scanned the glass containers, both of which contained one orb each: a bluish orb with hexagons cut into its surface on the left, and a pale-pink spherical orb on the right. "Items secure. They can bring in the Griseous Orb now."

* * *

_**"Team Alpha, are you there? Over."**_

Outside, the guard turned away from the truck driver to answer his walkie-talkie. "This is Team Alpha. Over."

_**"Allow the truck access. All is clear. Over and out."**_

The man nodded once and turned to his partner, who nodded at him before approaching a button on the side of the gate and pressing it. The iron gate slid open, and with one last innocent smile and wave of the hand, the driver directed the armored truck into the research center's premises with ease. Both guards never noticed the devious smirk that appeared on his face as he placed his earphones back over his ears and took out a Poké Ball from his pocket.

* * *

As the first security guard conversed with Carolina, the second guard stepped behind the container holding the Lustrous Orb, where a keyboard was located. He took one glare at Carolina and his partner, and saw that they were still engrossed in their conversation. He then began covertly typing digits on the keyboard.

* * *

In the truck, the driver continued to rock his head in tune with the unknown music. He was still driving as he lowered the window of his door.

* * *

"What in Arceus's name?!"

Carolina and the first guard watched as the Adamant and Lustrous Orb containers both opened up simultaneously. The man confronted his partner angrily.

"Hey, Stu!" he snapped. "What in the world are you _doing_?!"

However, the man named Stu began to chuckle. "Sorry, _Donny_," he replied. The guard gasped at the sound of Stu's voice; it appeared he never heard his partner use that kind of voice before. Carolina looked just as horrified as Donny. "However, I am afraid Stu is not with us, nor has he ever been."

Stu immediately tore off his entire head with a single stroke of his hand...only to reveal it was just a mask, which concealed the true face of a purple-haired man with hazel eyes and red streaks on two of his bangs. There was also a crimson-colored mark located underneath his right eye.

"I-Im-_Impostor_!" stuttered Carolina. She immediately dashed towards a red button on the wall, however...

"Not so fast," the intruder snarled as he threw a Poké Ball, summoning a Golbat. "Golbat, use Haze!"

The Bat Pokémon spewed out a billowing cloud of dark smoke, which engulfed the entire chamber and spilled out into the hallway. Donny began coughing at the Haze attack and attempted to swat away at the smoke, but Carolina realized what was happening and pointed at the glass containers.

"The Adamant and Lustrous Orbs!" she shouted.

"Are all mine..." completed the intruder mockingly as he lifted both orbs underneath his armpits and dashed out of the room, followed by Golbat.

* * *

"Swampert, use Muddy Water," the driver commanded as he threw his Poké Ball out of the window.

The Mud Fish Pokémon emerged from the Poké Ball, roared, and then begun spinning in a circle, shooting out mud in all directions, spraying all of the nearby security guards with it. At that moment, the driver violently skidded the armored truck to a stop, its side facing the research center, and the rear doors of the truck shot open. Eight security guards ran out and summoned their Pokémon, but then ordered them to attack all remaining security guards and their Pokémon.

* * *

"Hey, Stu!" another guard shouted at his coworker and colleague as he fled towards the closed door the former was guarding. "Whoa, whoa, hold on there, what's the rush?" Then, he spotted the two orbs tucked underneath his friend's arms. "And why do you have the Adamant and Lustrous Orbs?"

"There's an emergency!" exclaimed the second guard desperately. "The research center's under attack, and I was given orders by Professor Carolina to transport the Adamant Orb and the Lustrous Orb to the emergency safe-room! So, if you'll excuse me, I would like to get through that door, please."

"We're under attack! Oh, dear Arceus..." The clueless guard began typing on his keyboard. "Yes, yes, of course!" Within seconds, the door opened. "Stu, stay safe!"

"Thank you very much."

And with that, the other guard fled past the doorway and towards the main entrance. The first guard prepared to close the door when...

"STOP! INTRUDER!"

The guard watched as Carolina and Donny ran towards him, the former panting considerably.

"Oh, ma'am!" he exclaimed. "There's no reason to worry! Stu is taking the orbs to the emergency safe-room, like you said-"

"YOU **IDIOT**!" screeched Carolina, causing the guard to flinch. "THAT WASN'T HIM!"

"I-I-I-" the guard stuttered.

"It was an impostor," elaborated Donny. "Stu was just a _disguise_..."

"AND YOU LET HIM GET AWAY!" Carolina continued, outraged. "THERE ISN'T **EVEN** AN EMERGENCY SAFE-ROOM!"

The guard immediately realized what he had done. He could feel his legs buckling from the pressure.

"Oh, dear _Arceus_..." he moaned.

* * *

The impostor dashed out of the research center, past the unconscious forms of the security guards and their Pokémon, and leaped into the back of the armored truck, where his accomplices awaited. With a satisfied grin, the driver recalled his Swampert and immediately drove the truck back towards the gate at high speeds. There, he spotted the two security guards he encountered earlier, but this apparently didn't faze him even in the slightest.

"ARCANINE, USE INCINERATE!" one guard commanded.

"HOUNDOOM, USE INFERNO!" ordered the other guard.

The two Fire-type Pokémon fired their respective attacks, both of which struck the truck. However, being armored, the vehicle didn't suffer even a scratch. The guards were forced to jump out of the way as the truck sped past them, knocking Arcanine and Houndoom backward with the wind it left in its wake.

As he continued to drive, the driver procured a walkie-talkie and spoke into it.

"Are all of the orbs secured?"

At the rear of the truck, the impostor and the eight security guards stared at their payload: the Adamant Orb, the Lustrous Orb, and the Griseous Orb.

"Yes, sir," replied the impostor, using his own walkie-talkie.

"Good." The driver hung up, then took out another device. "Now, to make sure we're not followed..."

He pressed a red button, a malevolent smirk appearing on his face as he did so.

* * *

"Call Officer Jenny right away!" Carolina ordered.

"Yes, ma'am!" replied Donny.

However, before he and the other guard could run to the nearest phone, all of the light-bulbs in the center suddenly began flickering, then exploded sparks and went out, plunging the entire building in darkness. As the guard looked around, Donny grabbed the phone and tried dialing a number, but his eyes widened.

"I'm getting static, Professor..." he said, looking at the woman. He then tried using his walkie-talkie, but was met with identical results. "Same with my walkie-talkie."

"Same with mine as well!" cried the second guard as he tried tinkering with his device.

"My _Arceus_..." Carolina placed a hand over her wrinkled face in disbelief. "I can't believe this happened _again_... I have to contact my granddaughter..."

"How? Our communication devices are all down, Professor!"

Carolina merely shook her head in response, and in wonder. Little did she know all of Celestic Town was experiencing the same electrical issues.

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters  
Location unknown**

Inside the shadow-enveloped room at the top of the Syndicate's unknown headquarters, Alastair, Charon, and Curtis all silently stared at a brightly illuminated screen, which was currently the room's only source of light. Behind them was an unknown person seated on what appeared to be a throne of sorts, rather fitting for someone of his anonymity and power. However, due to the darkness, his outline was the only thing visible to the naked eye.

On the screen was a layout of the Celestic Town Historical Research Center and all surrounding areas, mapped out by thermal imaging.

"It appears Orlando and Brodie succeeded in the objective," announced Alastair, grinning. "Celestic Town is now out of power. They will be incapacitated for weeks."

"Excellent," the unknown figure replied. "Just as I expected. After all, nothing can match the wits of the Syndicate."

"All three Time-Space Orbs are now under our possession. This still leaves many more items to obtain, but with our progress, nothing's impossible for the Syndicate!"

"Indeed. Now, onward with the next mission!"

"Yes, sir!"

Alastair left the room, leaving Charon and Curtis alone with their master. Both inferiors faced their leader, smiling triumphantly.

"It will be soon!" exclaimed Curtis. "_Soon_, people and Pokémon around the world shall know who their rightful masters are!"

"And what's better," added Charon, "is that no one will be any wiser. NO ONE."

"Yes," the figure replied. Though this person was obscured by the darkness, one could sense the sinister grin forming on his or her mouth. "_No one_ will stop us..."

* * *

**Next time on "Judgment's Fall"**

**Serena:** You seem to be acting a little weird this morning...

**Clemont:** I guess this is why they call Lumiose City the 'City of Light'.

**Dawn:** To think you once traveled with Ash...

**Meyer:** I'M SO MOVED!

**Hilda:** Come on, _behave_, idiot!

**Unknown:** Well, well, well, look at what the Glameow dragged in.

**Serena:** No, it can't be... It can't be you!

**Chapter 1: City of Light**

* * *

**A/N:** Yep, this was definitely longer than the previous chapter. Hopefully you managed to get through all of that. My personal opinion of the chapter is a very positive one, especially with the action sequence at the end. I totally enjoyed writing that part, and if you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it, then don't worry; there'll definitely be more action sequences like this in future chapters. In fact, I have a little surprise waiting in a couple more chapters, so stay tuned for that! :D

In the meantime, do interpret what you can from the next chapter's preview! :D

I'd like to thank those who reviewed the introductory chapter:

**TheGhostShadow:** Well, as you can see in one section of this chapter, that group you mentioned is still returning with a major role. But I'm very glad you think this story is going to be one hell of a ride from the last chapter and also the preview! And yes, you'll learn the answers eventually, in due time. So stay tuned! :D

**King nintendo (guest reviewer):** Can you please be more specific?

**PokeLoverTJC:** Well, can't say anything about your guess on Mewtwo's assailant for spoilers' sake. I'm glad you like my concept of the Syndicate being a worldwide criminal organization consisting of criminal organizations, and you're gonna definitely see more of that idea play out in future chapters. I'm also pleased to hear your satisfaction with how I'm expanding on the game and anime elements like the International Police. I thought they were an interesting organization that we barely did not even get to know about because we're focused on the protagonists most of the time, hence all of these new ideas for the agency. And I'll try to read your stories, but I've got a tight schedule right now, so we'll see about that. Forgive me if I somehow forget. :)

**NGA96:** Can't you tell me what you specifically thought was amazing about the chapter, please?

So, what'd you think about the conclusion of this two-part introductory chapter? Tell me your thoughts in your reviews, but once again, I don't want one-line reviews. I need you guys to be thorough in your descriptions, as best as possible at least, and point out anything that you feel doesn't seem right. Oh, and please, no flaming.

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	3. ACT I: City of Light

**Edit #1:** I've done some new changes with the chapter so it could fit with what happened in the most recent episode in the XY anime.

**Edit #2:** Corrected an error pointed out by ChE clarinetist. Thanks! :D

* * *

**BEGINNING OF ACT I**

**ACT I: Birth**

* * *

**ACT I Summary:** Ash, Serena, Pikachu, Clemont, and Bonnie head back to Lumiose City to participate in the decennial Pokémon World Tournament. There, the group meets up with a multitude of familiar faces and new friends. Simultaneous to this joyous union of friends, however, certain villains plot to take advantage of the tournament for their own selfish needs. Elsewhere in the world, a force of evil begins to emerge with an intent to place its mark on history...

* * *

**Magenta Plaza  
Lumiose City, Kalos**

"WHOO-HOO!" Ash hollered loudly to the heavens as he held out his arms in the air. "HERE WE ARE AGAIN, LUMIOSE CITY!"

"PIKA PIKA!" added Pikachu, equally as determined as his Trainer.

"Um, Ash?"

The Trainer looked at his right side to see Serena and Pikachu, who were staring back at him nervously. Then, he looked to his left and saw Clemont and Bonnie, both having equally nervous expressions. Confused by their reactions, he looked in front of him and then blushed with embarrassment. Standing in front of the group were countless people, civilians and tourists alike, staring back at him awkwardly in confusion, no doubt startled by his abrupt outburst.

"Ummm..." said Ash, his face becoming even more florid by the minute. "Uhhh... S-Sorry, everyone...about that... Heh heh heh..."

He looked away and began scratching the back of his head, hoping to avoid any further embarrassment. To his relief, all of the people nearby resumed their activities, although some of them glared warily towards him, as if they were expecting him to just suddenly shout out and make a scene again. He and the others walked across Magenta Plaza, looking rather nervous all the way. As the quartet did so, Clemont let out a moan of sheer embarrassment.

"Ash," moaned Clemont, almost inaudibly, "that's the third time you've yelled that out, in spite of the fact we're already in Lumiose City!"

"Well, you know me, Clemont," Ash replied, chuckling nervously as he sweated. "Once I get excited, I can barely contain myself. After all, we're back in Lumiose City, and it's to participate in the PWT! I've been waiting three months for this to come!" He made a determined fist. "Of course I've gotta be hyped and pumped for it!"

"But you don't have to make the rest of Lumiose City know about it..."

"Pika pika..." Pikachu added, shaking its head in disapproval of its own actions.

As the quartet of friends continued walking through Magenta Plaza, Ash suddenly sensed a strange, almost _supernatural_ presence nearby, among the massive crowd of people surrounding him. It...It felt exactly identical to the presence he felt back at the Pokémon Center alongside Route 13. His eyes widening in alarm, Ash began looking around, scanning the pedestrians walking past him. At first, he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. ...Then again, that was what he thought last time...

Indeed, he saw that girl again, while he was looking away to refocus on the path ahead of him. Right in the corner of his eye, he could see her standing in the middle of several pedestrians, all of whom didn't seem to notice her. Within a matter of split-seconds, Ash caught the faint ghost of a smile forming on the girl's face...

Ash twirled towards the direction the girl was standing at, but he did not see her there again, nor was she even standing in the immediate area. The pedestrians were clearing, so it was virtually impossible for the girl to have just suddenly vanished into thin air. He would have noticed her running away or something...

"Ash?" asked Serena, catching the black-haired Trainer's attention.

"Huh?" Ash replied, confused. "Wh-What?"

"Are you okay, Ash? You seem to be acting a little weird this morning..."

At first, Ash thought about telling her what he thought he kept seeing. However, a second later, he realized that he did not want her to freak out over him potentially seeing things. Deciding to take the more tactical decision, he merely rubbed the back of his head in a calm manner and then shrugged coolly.

"Oh, I'm okay," he said. "I just could've sworn I saw a pastry shop nearby, though. Turned out I was wrong. Ah, well." Then, he continued to take the lead. "Come on, guys! The PWT isn't gonna wait forever!" Ash abruptly took off in a dash, forcing the others to run after him. "Come on, come on, we gotta get there quickly!"

"PIKA PIKA!" Pikachu added encouragingly.

"Wait, Ash!" Serena and Clemont called after their friend simultaneously, while Bonnie skipped ahead of them, the only one to enjoy the sudden change of pace.

_"That's weird..."_ thought Serena. _"It's not like Ash to just shrug off the fact that he was mistaken in seeing a pastry shop. He would've been very disappointed..."_

In the meantime, as he continued to run, Ash began to ponder over what he was seeing recently...

* * *

**Chapter 1: City of Light**

* * *

**The Pokémon World Festival  
****The Prism Tower**

Ash cheered out loudly as he and Pikachu competed heatedly against an equally excited Bonnie and Dedenne in a game of ping-pong. A small crowd of fellow festival-goers had steadily gathered around their table, watching in awe, their eyes almost magnetized in captivation as the small ball bounced back and forth rapidly between each side of the table. Both teams of two gave it their all as they continued hitting the ball using their paddles or a part of their respective Pokémon's body.

Meanwhile, Clemont had found satisfaction in conversing with several other aspiring inventors at the festival's science fair. He had joined a table as its seven members were discussing about their various inventions. Before he knew it, they had begun evaluating their inventing capabilities and judged others' strengths and weaknesses in the subject. Clemont had never met such like-minded in his life for such a while, and it made him so thrilled to be a part of the conversation.

As for Serena, she joined a small audience as they closely observed a Pokémon Stylist grooming several Furfrou at once. She was astounded to see the different kinds of Furfrou trims this Stylist was able to concoct, all within a short matter of time. In fact, Serena began to write down notes, hoping the trims and the advice given by the Stylist would give her a great amount of inspiration for her when she was participating in Pokémon Showcases.

Finally, after a few hours of having fun at the festival passed, the four regrouped directly in front of the Prism Tower, where several other tourists were taking photos.

"Man, that was fun!" exclaimed Ash, smiling widely.

"Pikachu!" the Mouse Pokémon replied in agreement.

"Ohhh, just you wait, Ash!" Bonnie snapped as the little girl hopped up and down. "Just you wait! I'm gonna beat you at ping-pong one day! You'll see!"

"DEDENNE!" added Dedenne.

"Well then, I'll be waiting when you're ready to take me on, Bonnie! Because I'm not holding back when I compete against you again!"

"The same goes for when I have a Pokémon battle with you!"

Ash chuckled, the topic having never come up recently. "Wow, Bonnie, you remind me of someone I know very well..."

"Pika pika..." added Pikachu, thinking the same thought.

"So, how'd you find the festival, Serena?" asked Clemont, looking at the honey-haired Trainer.

"Oh, it was excellent!" Serena replied, smiling and clasping her hands together excitedly. "I got to see a Pokémon Stylist making all kinds of trims on Furfrou, and he also gave out good advice that I think should help me well in my Pokémon Showcases!" She pulled out two Poké Balls from her vest pocket, the very Poké Balls that contained her Braixen and Pancham. The honey-haired teenager looked at them softly before stuffing them back in her pocket. "So, where to next, Ash?"

"To Clemont and Bonnie's dad's place!" Ash exclaimed. "Where else? We're gonna need a place to stay, now don't we?"

"HOORAY!" Bonnie jumped again in excitement. "Hear that, Clemont?! We're gonna see Daddy again! YAY, YAY, **YAY**!"

"Oh, I look forward to it..." However, the inventor's voice trailed off considerably, something his sister or his friends didn't notice. "_Yay_..."

The group began walking away. As they did, Ash looked up at the towering, mighty Prism Tower. He remembered how he had scaled it on his own to stop a Garchomp running amok in the city. It was certainly a way to start off his journey in the Kalos region. He couldn't help but smile at that memory.

Then, he noticed how the light from the afternoon sun seemed to reflect from the tower's frame. As a result, it appeared as if the entire Prism Tower was _shining_...

Clemont noticed where his friend's attention was at and smiled proudly.

"Astounding, isn't it?" he asked, catching Ash's attention.

"Huh?" Ash looked at the inventor, then smiled at him. "Yeah..." He looked back at Prism Tower. "Yes, it is. The way the sunlight makes the tower shine like that..."

"It's all a part of how the tower was designed. I would know because I did thorough inspections of it from time to time. In fact, it's how the entire city was designed."

"Pika?" asked Pikachu in wonder.

Ash looked back at Clemont in amazement. "_Really_?"

Clemont nodded in response, still looking at the tower. "Yeah, really. I've seen it before with my very eyes when I was a child. Many times, actually... The way the city was specifically designed to radiate beauty in its finest, it is quite a beauty in itself. In fact, this aspect of Lumiose's design is the city's most notable attribute." He let out a soft chuckle. "I guess this is why they call Lumiose City the 'City of Light'. A very appropriate name, if you ask me. Don't you think so, Ash?"

The black-haired Trainer nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's very fitting..."

* * *

Up in the sky, Team Rocket continued to observe Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie as they walked away from the vicinity of Prism Tower. Jessie snickered deviously.

"It won't be long now," she remarked.

"Pikachu," snarled Meowth, "we're comin' ta get ya! HA HA!"

"But first," James piped, "we need to get ourselves some batteries for our communication devices! We should get back in touch with the boss ASAP."

"Right!" replied Jessie. Then, she placed a finger under her chin as she began to ponder Team Rocket's newest strategy through. "But...how, exactly? We cannot just simply break into an electronics store and steal to our heart's content, and no doubt that after what went down here last time, we'd be wanted criminals here..."

"Hey!" Meowth exclaimed, an idea having formed in his head. "I got an idea!"

"Really?" Jessie and James responded simultaneously, looking at their comrade. "Do tell us."

"Okay. Come in close and listen, ya two. So, here's da plan..."

* * *

**Team Rocket Emergency Headquarters  
****Location top-secret**

Giovanni's eyes remained glued to the screen, his serious demeanor unwavering as he consistently focused on the red tracking indicator, which was flying around the Orange Archipelago at the moment. It still amazed him as to how the Syndicate was able to capture the very thing he had been pursuing for years, as if the task was nothing to them. And now that they were claiming rightful ownership over it, the Team Rocket leader felt as if the world was slowly caving in.

The only thing he could do now was rely on his three trump cards: Jessie, James, and Meowth. It was his last option now. There was no more turning back in this war.

Just then, Giovanni heard the door to his office swing open, and a rapid set of footsteps. He could recognize the heavy breathing right away.

"What is it, Petrel?" he demanded softly as he stroked his Persian's fur. "This had better be _good_..."

"There is no need to worry, sir," Petrel replied. "We have managed to pinpoint the last known coordinates of Jessie, James, and Meowth."

"Where are they?"

"In the Kalos region, sir."

"I know that, idiot." Giovanni sighed heavily and closed his eyes. "_Where_ in Kalos, specifically?"

Petrel blustered incomprehensibly for a moment, before replying, "They seemed to be directing themselves toward Lumiose City."

"Dispatch Cassidy and Butch this instant."

"Already did that, sir. They're on their way to the location as we speak."

A malicious grin appeared on Giovanni's face. "_Good_..."

Elsewhere, a small jet flew out of the headquarters' secret hangar and into the sky for parts unknown...

* * *

**Hilda White and Hilbert Black's Summer Getaway Mansion  
****The Seventh District**

"Oh my Arceus, that's SO like Ash!"

Dawn burst out in laughter soon after, with Misty, Brock, May, Max, Norman, Caroline, Johanna, Zoey, Cilan, and several other Gym Leaders following suit. Misty and Brock had both taken to telling the others stories about their travels with Ash in the Kanto region. Dawn found herself particularly intrigued by the stories; she never heard anything about Ash's first days as a Pokémon Trainer. Now that she was hearing those stories, she became even more impressed with her old friend's antics.

"So," Dawn continued as the laughter died down, "Ash's Pikachu destroyed your bike too, didn't he?"

"Of course!" replied Misty, crossing her arms and frowning. "My goodness, I could not even _begin_ to comprehend why it took them two damn years to repair that bike and bring it back in good shape! And I could barely get more than an apology out of his mouth during that time! The nerve of him!"

After five years, Misty had certainly changed a lot. For starters, she had completely abandoned her original clothing of a low-cut yellow tank-top and blue shorts with red straps. Now, she was wearing a light-blue, short-sleeved shirt with a buttoned-up collar; light-blue shorts; and a flowing, light-blue, long-sleeved jacket. She had lost her side-ponytail in the left side of her hair; now, her orange hair was flowing down in two locks that curled forward.

"He still hasn't paid me back for _my_ bike..." May snarled as she clenched her fist tightly in anger. "It's been three years too! And what do I get?! Nothing!"

"Same here," Dawn added, sighing softly. "To think you once traveled with Ash, Misty."

The three girls then resumed laughing, while Cilan looked at Brock in confusion.

"Are they really serious?" the Pokémon Connoisseur asked. "Ash's Pikachu destroyed their bikes?"

"By some weird coincidence, yes," replied Brock. However, he was smiling. "But their attitudes? They don't mean it. Especially not Misty. She's always had a thing for Ash ever since they first met." He chuckled softly. "She just doesn't wanna admit it, even though it's been crystal-clear for a long time."

"Ohhhhh..."

"But still," Misty continued, as soon as she stopped laughing, "Ash is still awesome. In his own way.,," She took a sip from the can of soda she was carrying, although one could easily notice the blush present on her face. "To be honest, every time I think about him, it's not because of my bike. It's about everything else he's done..."

"Yeah," replied May. She looked down at the floor, blushing as well. "He certainly accomplished more than any other person I've ever seen."

Dawn didn't respond to those remarks. Instead, she looked out of the window longingly, blushing like the other two girls. An awkward air was quick to hang over the scene. Finally, after several seconds of this, the tense, emotional scene was interrupted by a dissatisfied Max, who abruptly cleared his throat.

"Well," he said, "while you three girls gossip on about Ash, we are forgetting about more important matters-"

"Ah, come on, Max," Brock interrupted. "We've all met Ash at some point in the past. A commonality such as that requires some reminiscing between one another."

"Yeah, I gotta admit," a loud, gruff voice said, "that Ash certainly proved to me he wasn't some baby 'round the block."

The speaker was a man with spiky, sandy-blond hair and black eyes. With the military-style clothing he was wearing, more than a few people would easily assume he was a high-ranking, well-respected soldier from the regional military. Sitting beside him was a Raichu. This man was Lt. Surge, Leader of the Vermilion City Gym.

"I remember my rematch with him," replied a second voice. "The dude certainly gave me a thrill even bigger than the biggest wave I've ever surfed!"

This speaker was a man with eyes as blue as the ocean and spiky, long sky-blue hair that was tied into a small ponytail. He was wearing a black-and-orange-striped, short-sleeved shirt; finger-less, black-and-orange-striped gloves; sleek sky-blue shorts; black-and-orange-striped swim-shoes; and a pair of large orange sunglasses resembling goggles. Sitting beside him was a younger girl with blue hair and wearing pink workout clothes. The man was Brawly, Leader of the Dewford Town Gym.

"Yeah, that's right!" exclaimed the girl sitting beside Brawly. "Man, it was the coolest battle I've ever seen! Nothing has ever rivaled it so far!"

"You got that right, Shauna," Brawly replied, chuckling and causing the girl to blush.

"So, about ninety-five percent of us have known Ash in some way," a third voice piped, this time belonging to a female. She was a petite girl with pale skin, lilac hair, and eyes with an identical color. The girl was also wearing flashy, proper clothing colored in varying shades of lilac, consisting of a shirt with a large, pointed collar and long sleeves, a pair of pants, and black shoes with white socks. She was Salon Maiden Anabel, the Frontier Brain in charge of the Kanto Battle Frontier's Battle Tower.

"Yeah," said Brock. "Mostly through battling you guys in Gym battles." He closed his eyes (as if they weren't closed already). "I remember _my_ battle with him..."

"Mm-hm," Misty replied, nodding. "If I can recall, he screwed up the first time, and was about to screw up again if I hadn't given him a little pointer midway in."

"I think he would've realized eventually, either way. It's typical of Ash to keep on trying and learning from his mistakes."

"Yes, it's just like cooking!" Cilan exclaimed elegantly. "Every time you tackle a new and completely foreign recipe, you're bound to fail to deliver in your final product. But through many attempts full of conditioning and discipline, you're eventually bound to get it right! I've always liked to think Ash that way."

"Like a chef?..." May asked in a deadpan tone while the others looked at him, flabbergasted by his odd analogy.

"Yes, that's right!"

Everyone fell to the floor.

"That's...quite an analogy there, Cilan," Brock replied.

Max quickly recovered from his brief period of stupor and stood back up. "Anyway," he said, "let's not focus too much on Ash." He adjusted his glasses as they glinted in the light. "We probably should be focusing on the more serious and sensitive stuff, like the PWT, for example! We don't wanna forget that, now do we?"

"Why don't you wanna talk about Ash, Max?" asked Brock as he raised an eyebrow at him. "Aren't you excited that he might be coming here to participate?"

"Yeah, Max," Misty added. "After all, the PWT sounds like something Ash wouldn't miss out on. If anything, I expected you to talk about him the most."

"I don't have time for that subject," Max replied nonchalantly as he took out an advanced calculator. "According to my calculations, the PWT is gonna bring in a whole lot of money, and the BW Agency will grant a good portion of those proceedings to every Gym Leader participating! I'm taking potentially thousands of Poké Dollars!" The young Trainer suddenly began punching in various unknown numbers on the calculator. "And if my calculations are correct, the Hoenn League may be getting the best share because of the reputation it has compared to other regions!" He turned to Norman, who was looking at him curiously. "Hey, Dad, when we get the money, can you buy me the new PokéNav, the one I saw on the cover of the Trainers' Weekly Magazine? Huh? Can you, can you?!"

As Max and Norman began conversing, Brock walked over to May and sat beside her.

"I don't recall Max being this nonchalant about Ash," the aspiring Pokémon Doctor said. "Especially when he might have that battle Ash promised him..."

However, May shrugged dismissively. "Eh, who knows?" she replied. "He's just probably trying to avoid the subject so he doesn't get distracted."

"Distracted?"

"Yeah. He's probably spending all this time thinking of many different strategies to beat Ash."

Brock looked at May, confused. "Probably, you say?"

"Or maybe he really doesn't care about Ash anymore." The Coordinator shrugged again. "I don't know. I can't read minds, you know, Brock."

The aspiring Pokémon Doctor raised an eyebrow. "But...he's your brother. The two of you traveled together with me and Ash for two years." He slightly pursed his lips as he continued to look at his old friend and traveling companion. "Surely the both of you understand each other clearly, like a book."

"Well, to be honest, we haven't seen each other a lot ever since I left for Johto. In fact, this is the first time in three years we saw each other face-to-face."

Brock's eyes widened, as well as those of Misty and Dawn, who were within earshot.

"You haven't seen Max in three years?!" all three exclaimed simultaneously.

"Or my entire family, for that matter," May added in a strange matter-of-fact tone.

"WHAT?!"

Before the three could further respond, Jones's voice called out, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I please have your attention?"

Everyone gazed at the butler, who had just stepped into the guestroom. He bowed politely before them, then continued with his speech.

"Your meeting with Ms. White and Mr. Black will begin shortly. Now then, I understand that not everyone has made it, and may not even arrive at Lumiose City until a couple more days. Which is why I urge all of you to inform your colleagues of the details Ms. White and Mr. Black will disclose to you. They can only do this once, and they will not repeat themselves after today. Now..." The butler procured a large clipboard. "I would like to list those who are already here, just in case."

He began checking the names of the Gym Leaders and other representatives who were present.

First and foremost, Jones checked on the Kanto Gym Leaders. Those already present were Brock's brother Forrest, Misty herself, Janine (who had replaced her father Koga as the Fuchsia City Gym Leader, two years after Ash defeated him, as Misty and Brock both found out), and Blaine.

Secondly, Jones checked on the Johto Gym Leaders. Already present were Whitney, Chuck, Jasmine, and Pryce.

Thirdly, the butler checked on the Indigo Elite Four. All four members, consisting of Will, the newly-promoted Koga, Bruno, and Karen, were all present.

Fourthly, he checked on the Hoenn region representatives. The Gym Leaders currently included Brawly and Norman, while the Hoenn Elite Four only included Phoebe.

Fifthly, Jones checked on all the Sinnoh region representatives. The Gym Leaders already present were Roark, Gardenia, Crasher Wake, Fantina, and Byron. As for the Sinnoh Elite Four, members Aaron, Bertha, and Lucian were present, with Flint scheduled to arrive later with Sunyshore City Gym Leader Volkner.

Then, the butler checked over all the Unova region representatives. The Gym Leaders included Cilan's brothers Chili and Cress, Cheren (who had recently replaced the now-retired Lenora as the Normal-type specialist Gym), Burgh, Clay, and Marlon. The Unova Elite Four members present were Shauntal, Marshal, and Caitlin.

Next, he checked over the Kalos region representatives. The Gym Leaders present were Valerie and Wulfric. The only Kalos Elite Four member present was Malva.

Following that, he checked on the Orange League members. Cissy, Danny, and Luana were the only ones present.

Lastly, Jones checked on all the other miscellaneous representatives. They included (but weren't limited to) Johanna, May, and Zoey, the representatives for Pokémon Contests (Fantina, a Top Coordinator, was also secondarily selected as a representative); Greta, Tucker, Spenser, and Anabel, the representatives for the Kanto Battle Frontier; Thorton, Dahlia, and Argenta, the representatives for the Johto Battle Frontier; Gena, famous Poké Puff baker and the head juror for the Poké Puff Contests; Meg, the Trainer and leader of the famed Coronet Fighters team for Pokémon Baccer; and Nita, Evelyn, Dana, and Morgan, sisters and leaders of the Battle Maison.

"Alright, I believe that's everyone..." the butler finally concluded after almost an hour of checking. "Excellent, very excellent. Now, if you'll all follow me, please..."

The entire group followed Jones out of the guestroom, into the hallway, and into another room. Having forgotten about her conversation with May, Dawn had to stifle a squeal of excitement as soon as she noticed three people present in the room. Recognizing two of them, she honestly couldn't believe her luck right now.

One of those people was a teenage girl with blue eyes and sleek dark-brown hair tied into a thick ponytail, with two smaller locks hanging from the sides of her head. She was wearing a white tank-top; a small black waistcoat; blue jeans whose leggings were torn off, exposing spiky pockets; black cuffs with a red stripe; black-and-red boots with red shoelaces and black socks; a red purse; an Xtransceiver; and a white cap with a red visor and Poké Ball symbol.

The other person was a boy who was around the girl's age. He had spiky brown hair and eyes colored in an identical shade. He was wearing clothes that Dawn noticed were nearly identical to the ones Ash was wearing when she last saw him in the Unova region. This clothing consisted of a light-blue, long-sleeved hooded jacket with a dark-blue collar and cuffs; a black undershirt; charcoal-gray baggy jeans; red-and-black running shoes; a dark-blue-and-white-striped bag; an Xtransceiver like the one being worn by the girl; and a cap that was light-red at the front and white at the back, with a charcoal-gray visor and Poké Ball symbol.

The third person was an older man with spiky locks of hair that hung down his head, colored in an alternating pattern of black and white stripes. He had black eyes, a bitter frown on his face, deathly pale skin, and a small scar running across his right cheek. He was wearing a pitch-black suit with a white collar and cuffs, and also a white-and-black-striped bow and tie. However, it wasn't that person Dawn, or even the others, cared about; it was the two teenagers in front of them.

In front of these people were a Snivy, a Tepig, and an Oshawott, all dressed fancily and smiling widely... Well, the energy was absent from the Tepig's smile...

"Welcome, everyone!" greeted the girl, flashing a smile as bright as the summer sun. "It is a true pleasure to meet all of you! My name's Hilda White-" She pointed at the teenage boy, who appeared disappointed to be a part of this meeting. "-and this here is Hilbert Black. We're the BW Agency Presidents, and we hope you all had a good stay at our getaway manor so far!" The girl sat down in one of the many sofas that lay across in the room. "So, uh, let's get this meeting started, shall we?"

"Snivy!" cried Snivy happily.

"Oshawott!" Oshawott exclaimed with glee.

"Tepig..." said Tepig in an almost inaudible voice.

* * *

**M Electronics  
Autumnal Avenue  
**

"HOORAY, WE'RE HERE AT LAST!"

"DEDENNE!"

Bonnie was now excitedly skipping ahead of the others as the quartet was steadily approaching Meyer's electrical appliance store. As the group came up to the front door, it opened, and a tall, thin man with blue hair and wearing a blue cap, pale-yellow overalls, and a light-blue T-shirt emerged, holding a large stack of boxes. The cap's visor was lowered down considerably, so it obscured most of his face. Bonnie watched the man in confusion, while Ash, Serena, and Clemont were about to offer help to this person. After all, the stack obviously looked too large for his handling. However, before they can even speak, the man quickly stumbled away out of sight.

"Hm, I wonder what that was all about..." Ash said.

Before Clemont could respond, the front door to the store opened again, this time revealing a muscular man wearing pale-blue overalls, a dark-blue shirt with rolled-up sleeves, and a dark-green cap. His brown eyes and dark-brown hair, complete with a spiky beard, was easily recognizable to the group.

"DADDY!" Bonnie shouted happily.

"Huh, what-?" began Meyer, just before his daughter hugged his leg tightly. Upon recognizing the group, he beamed. "Oh, Clemont, Bonnie, it's good to see you both again! Same with you two, Ash and Serena." He chuckled heartily. "Oh, I hope all of you are having a safe but enjoyable journey!"

"We are, Dad, thanks for saying..." Clemont replied nervously.

"It's good to see you again, Meyer!" exclaimed Ash.

"Pika pika!" added Pikachu, nodding.

Meyer nodded before his smile widened. "Ohhhhh, I'm assuming all of you are here to participate in that Pokémon Planet Festival everyone's been talking about?"

"It's Pokémon World Tournament, and yes, we're participating in it." Ash made a determined fist. "And we're in it to win it!"

"HA HA! Now THAT'S the spirit!" Then, he blinked as he began to put two and two together. "Wait a minute... They're saying the Gym Leaders from seven regions are going to be the tournament's main attraction... And that includes the Kalos Gym Leaders... Clemont's the Gym Leader of Lumiose City, the very city that's hosting the Pokémon World Tournament in the first place..." He looked at his son, who felt himself becoming smaller with the pressure. "Clemont?..."

"Y-Y-Yeah?..." replied Clemont nervously.

"I...I...I-I..." Tears began to well up at the corners of Meyer's eyes. "I...I'M SO MOVED!"

"Y-You _are_? EEK!"

Meyer had suddenly embraced Clemont in the tightest hug he ever delivered. "My son, promoting all that is Lumiose City and Kalos at the same time? I am SO proud of you, son! Oh, I can't believe the day has come that my little boy's gonna be under the spotlight! Oh, your mother would be SO proud of you, Clemont!"

Clemont chuckled nervously as he blushed furiously. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure she will..."

"Oh, where are my manners?!" Meyer immediately broke the hug and began guiding his son inside the store. "Come in, come on in, everyone! I assume you are here to ask me to lend over the upstairs rooms, so there's no need to ask. Anyway, my new assistant just left, so you guys just missed him. Come in!"

"Thank you very much, Meyer," Ash and Serena replied simultaneously.

"You're welcome! Anything for my children and their friends! By the way, Serena, I like your new look."

"Oh." Serena blushed in embarrassment as she looked down at her new clothes. "Thanks, Meyer."

The group stepped into the electronics store, where they found Meyer's Ampharos charging an assortment of electrical devices.

"So, that guy was your assistant, Daddy?" Bonnie asked.

"Yeah." The muscular electrician rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Unfortunately for me, I'm starting to get a little old for my work, and my Ampharos can only do so much. So, I hired that guy to help me out on some of my work. He's been working for this store for a couple of weeks now. Pretty good guy. He is a bit clumsy, though, and he has a lack of coordination. But he's pretty determined to get the job done. He reminds me of you, Ash." Meyer rubbed his beard as he began to think, being apparently confused about something. "Can't remember what the guy's name is, though. I'm pretty sure it's Boyd."

"Boyd, huh?" Ash asked. "Well, we'll be sure to say hi when we see him."

"Yeah, please do. So, fill me in, everyone! What'd I miss? Did you guys catch new Pokémon?"

"Yeah, lots!" exclaimed Bonnie giddily. "Wanna meet 'em?"

"I'd like nothing better!"

"Alright, then!" Ash cried as he pulled out his Poké Balls and threw them. "Come on out, everyone!"

The Poké Balls unleashed his Frogadier, Fletchinder, Hawlucha, and Goodra, all of which cried out happily in greeting, with the sole exception of Frogadier, who merely croaked coolly at the electrician. Serena and Clemont agreed and summoned their own Pokémon; Serena took out her Braixen and Pancham, while Clemont let out his Bunnelby, Chespin, and Luxray. Pikachu and Dedenne joined the group, and all of the Pokémon greeted Meyer, who smiled happily.

"Wow, look at all of these Pokémon!" he exclaimed. "You kids sure kept yourselves busy during your journey, haven't you?"

"You got that right!" replied Ash.

"So Ash, how many Badges do you have? I hear you're challenging the Kalos Gyms?"

"Yeah. I have three so far." The black-haired Trainer pulled out his Badge case and displayed his Badges to Meyer. "I'm going for my fourth."

"Impressive. You know, Ash, just because you're gonna come across the other Kalos Gym Leaders in the PWT, it doesn't mean you're gonna win Badges from them."

"Yeah, I read the PWT brochures." He put away the case. "It's a very complex system, isn't it? Do you know any more specific details?"

Meyer nodded. "Yes. First, you have to register for the PWT at the special Pokémon Center set up for the PWT. No doubt there's gonna be a long line.

"Then, once the PWT begins, you have to first compete in the Preliminary Tournament. You and 511 other Trainers have to battle each other in Pokémon battles, then keep moving up to battle the next Trainer with each win. It's a lot like the Pokémon League round setup, but once the top 32 Trainers are decided, you're awarded the Preliminary Certificate afterwards. That allows you to challenge in the Gym Tournaments. If you lose at some point during the battles, you can just challenge it again. However, you're required to have a Preliminary Certificate if you want to move on to the Gym Tournaments.

"Once you've got a Preliminary Certificate, you have to compete in the Gym Tournaments: the Kanto Leaders Tournament, the Orange Leaders Tournament, the Johto Leaders Tournament, the Hoenn Leaders Tournament, the Sinnoh Leaders Tournament, the Unova Leaders Tournament, and the Kalos Leaders Tournament. For those tournaments, there is no specific order you have to take. As long as you win all seven Tournaments, you're in the clear.

"In a single Gym Tournament, you have to challenge all of the Gym Leaders in a one-round Pokémon battle with no substitutions. If you get through all of them, you win the Gym Certificates: the Kanto Certificate, the Orange Certificate, the Johto Certificate, the Hoenn Certificate, the Sinnoh Certificate, the Unova Certificate, and the Kalos Certificate. If you lose a Gym Tournament, you have to backtrack and challenge the whole thing again. The thing is, however, the order of Gym Leaders you must face will be randomized by a computer, and so will the Pokémon they're using. Therefore, you need to be fully prepared for multiple different battling strategies. You can only get past the entire Gym Tournaments stage after you defeat all the Gym Leaders and win all seven Gym Certificates.

"Fortunately, if you lose one Gym Tournament after you won another one, that doesn't mean you have to backtrack to square one.

"Once you get all seven Gym Certificates, you compete in the Elite Tournament next. There, you need to battle the members of the Elite Fours of Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos. The rules of the Gym Tournaments apply for the Elite Tournament as well, so be on your toes for these guys too. Once you defeat everyone there, you will win the Elite Certificate, which will allow you to get to the most difficult stage of all: the Champions Tournament.

"Once you get over to the Champions Tournament using the Elite Certificate, you must face against the five Champions, each from a representative league: Lance of the Indigo League, Steven of the Hoenn League, Cynthia of the Sinnoh League, Alder of the Unova League, and Diantha of the Kalos League. All the rules of the Gym Tournaments and the Elite Tournament also apply to the Champions Tournament. Once you defeat all five Champions, you receive the Champions Certificate.

"Once you win the Champions Tournament and get the Champions Certificate, you move over to the World Tournament. Details about the World Tournament are being kept under wraps. They say that only those who make it to the World Tournament will find out what it is. And once you win it, you win the Pokémon World Trophy. The Pokémon World Trophy recognizes that you won the PWT, and the BW Agency Presidents Hilda White and Hilbert Black will declare you a World Victor.

"And, of course, you have till three months to get past all those Tournaments and win the Pokémon World Trophy. Then, the PWT closes down until the next decade."

"None of the brochures we read were very specific about this World Tournament..." replied Ash curiously. "I wonder what's waiting for me there..."

"Pika..." Pikachu added, also in wonder as he stared up at his Trainer.

Meanwhile, Serena stepped forward towards Meyer. "And what about the side-competitions?" she asked.

"Well," the electrician replied, "the side-competitions are for those who want an alternative to participating in the PWT, or for those who want to learn about all of the competitions celebrated in other parts of the world. There are not really any complex rule systems just like the one I just described for the PWT itself. All you have to do is win those side-competitions and get whatever trophies or titles they usually award the victors." Then, he beamed at Serena. "Oh, speaking of which..."

"What?"

"I never asked what you were planning on doing for your journey during the times we met. So, planning on participating in the PWT too?"

Serena shook her head in response. Then, she looked at her Fennekin and Pancham as they played with the other Pokémon.

"No, not really. I'm planning on participating in the Pokémon Showcases the PWT is offering."

"Ah, so you want to be a Pokémon Performer, eh?" He nodded approvingly. "Someone I once knew was a Pokémon Performer..."

"Really?" Bonnie asked, looking up at her father. "You do? Who, Daddy?"

"Huh? Oh, well...I-I kinda forgot... I know a close acquaintance of mine once had that occupation. That's all I know."

However, Serena looked at Meyer with suspicion. For some reason, she could sense he was lying about that statement...

Then, Meyer grinned at the entire group. "So, who's up for some lunch?"

* * *

**Hilda White and Hilbert Black's Summer Getaway Mansion  
****The Seventh District**

"And that wraps it up, everyone!" Hilda exclaimed, still flashing her cheery smile. "I hope all of you have a fun time at the PWT!"

"Thank you for your time!" everyone chorused before they left the room, led by Jones. Hilda waved at them energetically, while Hilbert and the black-and-white man accompanying them also waved back, albeit with way less energy. Once everyone left the room, Hilda glared at Hilbert angrily.

"Okay, what the hell was THAT, Hilbert?!" she snarled.

"What?" replied Hilbert in a deadpan voice. "I smiled at everyone and didn't do anything stupid. Isn't that what you wanted me to do, Hilda?"

"You could've at least put more energy and effort into that! I saw more than a few eyes on you! No doubt they think you're weird or something!" The girl crossed her arms. "This is NOT the proper behavior expected by the board, Hilbert. BW Agency's reputation depends on the upbeat energy of its Presidents! And you're not doing it right!" She sighed and looked away. "Seriously, Hilbert, what is wrong with you? You haven't been yourself lately, and that's saying something..."

"Ms. White is correct, Mr. Black," the black-and-white-haired man said, looking at Hilbert seriously. "You have been more out of tune than usual. It's concerning."

"I just...I just don't think hosting the PWT is the kind of thing for me..." Hilbert replied.

Hilda scoffed. "Says the person who suggested the idea in the first place."

"I only made the suggestion out of sarcasm. I didn't expect the board, and _you_ for that matter, to actually go through with it."

The girl's blue eyes widened in horror. "You're telling me you weren't being SERIOUS when you suggested it?!" she roared.

Now, Hilbert was on high alert. "Whoa, whoa, WHOA, Hilda! There's no need to-"

"OF COURSE THERE'S EVERY NEED TO BE TICKED!" interrupted Hilda as a fire began to form in her eyes. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT'LL HAPPEN WHEN ALL THE NEWS OUTLETS GET A HOLD OF THIS?!" When Hilbert didn't respond, she continued, "THE BW AGENCY'S REPUTATION WILL BE **RUINED**, FOR ARCEUS'S SAKE!"

"Okay, OKAY! I get the message, Hilda! Please don't kill me!"

"TEPIG!"

The Tepig immediately jumped out of the clothes it was dressed in and stepped between Hilbert and Hilda, looking up at the latter with fire snorting out of its nostrils.

"_Tepig_..." the Fire Pig Pokémon snarled.

"Tepig, what in the world are you doing?!" Hilda exclaimed, surprised by Tepig's change of behavior.

"Tepig!" said Hilbert as he took the Fire Pig Pokémon into his arms. Looking at its face, he whispered quietly enough so Hilda and the other man couldn't hear him, "It is okay, Tepig, you don't have to be worried, and especially not about me." When Tepig nodded at him, he looked up at Hilda and said, "Sorry about that, Hilda."

However, Hilda looked dissatisfied. "Come on, _behave_, idiot!" she snapped. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood today, otherwise I would've kicked your butt like usual!"

"Ms. White, ma'am," the man said calmly, "there is no more time to be discussing these matters. Your 4 o'clock is almost here."

"Oh damn it, that's right! Gotta get ready, gotta get ready!" Hilda rushed to a second door in the room, but before she could go through it, she glared back at Hilbert with a cold expression that chilled him and Tepig to the bone. "Don't think this discussion is done, Hilbert! I'll deal with YOU later!" She looked at the black-and-white-haired man. "Bernard, take care of Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott! Remember, shooting for the new PWT commercial starts in another half-hour!"

"Do I look like a Pokémon handler to you?!" cried the man, but the girl ignored him and exited the room. Hilbert sighed in relief as soon as she left.

"Man, that was close..." he said.

"Tepig..." Tepig added, nodding. Suddenly, a small vine appeared and slapped the Fire Pig Pokémon on the cheek lightly. "TEPIG!"

Down on the floor, Snivy was chuckling, its vine retracting. Angrily, Tepig hopped back down on the floor and faced the Grass Snake Pokémon.

"Tepig, tep-tepig TEPIG!" it growled.

"Snivy," replied Snivy, looking innocent.

"_Tepig_..." Tepig growled, snorting out flames as Oshawott watched fearfully.

"Great," the man named Bernard snarled. "And the three of them have to be in the middle of a fight while I have to take care of 'em. What luck..."

"Hey, Bernard?" asked Hilbert, his visor obscuring his eyes.

"Yes, Mr. Black?"

"May I have Tepig for the rest of the day?"

Bernard's eyes widened. "What?! What for, sir?! Did you hear Ms. White?"

"Yes, yes I did." Hilbert looked up at Bernard, a serious expression on his face. "But I want to have Tepig. You could use one of the stand-ins for the commercial."

"But none of the stand-ins will have the same kind of acting skills this Tepig has!"

"Just tell the director Tepig's not feeling well, so he may not be up to speed." Hilbert's eyes began to shimmer. "Please, just let me have Tepig for the day. Please?"

"_Sir_-"

"Are you disobeying an order from me? Remember, I'm the BW Agency President. You're the Vice-President. I outrank you."

Bernard gritted his teeth. "Damn it, no need to remind me..." He sighed heavily. "_Fine_..."

"Oh, thank you, Bertrand!" Hilbert smiled slightly. "I'm sorry about that last comment."

"No, no need to apologize. It's...It's a true statement, after all..."

"But you've been taking good care of me and Hilda ever since we were kids!" He looked away. "I don't think we thank you enough times for that, no matter how much we do-" He then paused for a moment. "No, scratch that. No matter how much _I_ do." He looked back at Bertrand again. "So, thank you, for letting me have Tepig."

Bertrand looked down at the boy and his shimmering eyes, his youthful and energetic smile. He sighed heavily and then cracked a smile after much effort.

"You're welcome, sir..."

* * *

After spending over an hour avoiding all of the cameras, security guards, and service personnel, Hilbert managed to stealthily get out of the mansion and wandered to the backyard, with Tepig safely tucked in his arms. He was now wearing a thick brown jacket over his clothes, with the hood drawn over his head.

"Can't believe I'm actually doing this..." he said. "This is the first time I actually went out on my own...without a _bodyguard_..."

"Tepig," piped Tepig, catching his attention. "Tepig tepig! _Tepig_!"

Hilbert nodded, smiling. "Yes, that's right," the boy replied. "We have to do this! We may not have another chance! Come on, Tepig!"

"Tepig!"

Hilbert rushed towards a tall hedge of roses and began walking alongside it, apparently in search of something. Finally, he stopped along a group of trees and looked down, spotting a pile of twigs holding dried and dead leaves. He set down Tepig on the ground, and the two began moving the twigs aside. After a couple of seconds, they eventually revealed a hole large enough for a person to fit. Apparently, it had taken a few months for that hole to be dug up.

Hilbert sighed and looked at the Fire Pig Pokémon. "Well..." he said, "are you ready, Tepig?"

Tepig nodded. "Tepig!"

* * *

**Juice Shoppe  
Autumnal Avenue**

"Thank you very much!" Serena said, smiling at the woman as she handed her and Clemont bags containing food and juice.

"You're very welcome!" replied the woman as the two Trainers began walking away. "You two have a safe trip!"

Serena and Clemont both examined the contents of the bags as they continued walking down the sidewalk, in order to make sure they had everything. As they did so, Clemont instinctively looked at Serena nervously, a tint of the brightest pink present on his cheeks. Ever since extremely awkward moment he had with her on Route 13, the inventor had only two things in his mind. One was the upcoming PWT and the mounting pressures he had about participating in it. The other thing...

"Clemont?" Serena's voice asked, bringing him back to reality. To his displeasure (and something else), she was looking back at him, confused. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Y-Ye-Yeah, yeah!" the inventor stuttered, looking back into his bag. "I-I'm okay. W-Why w-w-wouldn't I be?!"

"You were looking at me all funny." The girl's eyes narrowed slightly. "You've been acting weird ever since we left the Pokémon Center. Is everything alright?"

"Y-Y-Ye-Yeah, yeah! E-Ev-Everything's okay. W-Why w-w-wouldn't it be?!"

"You're stuttering like crazy. That to me is the first sign that everything's NOT okay." Serena smiled slightly, causing him to blush. "It's okay. You can tell me."

"B-B-But-"

"If you want," she interrupted, "I won't tell anyone. This conversation will just be between us."

_"Us,"_ thought Clemont, almost in awe. _"I don't think I've ever _heard _Serena use that word when referring to me and her only..."_

Before Clemont could reply, another voice, one strangely familiar to them, suddenly spoke up.

"Well, well, well, look at what the Glameow dragged in."

The two friends looked in front of them and saw someone standing in front of them. With the clothing she was wearing, she definitely stood out to them out of all the other people who were walking on the sidewalk. Clemont blinked in shock, but Serena was beyond dumbfounded at having to see this person again.

"No, it can't be..." she said, surprised. "It can't be you!"

* * *

_"As soon as my masterpiece had reached the fruit of its completion, I knew I had surpassed myself. Watching as the light of the Sun gleamed majestically from the buildings, there was no doubt to me that very few architectural marvels would be able to rival this. And as the reflected light shone upon me, like Arceus blessing me for my works, I knew that I had created a **city of light**, one whose beauty is everlasting, like the grace of nature. And that was when everyone cried."_

–Stéphane Eifler, Lumiose City architect

* * *

**Next time on "Judgment's Fall"**

**Unknown:** So, I guess I'll have to tell Ash how _I_ feel...

**Hilbert:** No. No, no, no, wait, WAIT!

**Ash:** Don't worry. I'll teach you how to battle!

**Adam:** You can't wait for the day either.

**Hilbert:** So, then...I've been doing this wrong, then...

**Alain:** Well, what do you know? This looks _interesting_...

**Team Rocket:** TOODLES!

**Chapter 2: The Will to Fight**

* * *

**A/N:** And here's the newest update of "Judgment's Fall"! So, what do you think Hilbert's intention is to go out into Lumiose City without a bodyguard? And who d'you think is the person Serena and Clemont have come across? Definitely someone Serena doesn't like... Also, we learned about how the PWT will be dealt with! It's quite obvious it's not accurate to the game, but considering there's more than just Gym Leaders involved in the PWT, I thought I'd just make a lot of changes. Hopefully all ya guys are cool with the system I designed for the tournament! And stay tuned for those answers and more on the next chapter!

As you can see, not every subplot is going to be covered with every chapter. We'll be alternating between different storylines depending on how I plan to execute this story. So, you're probably gonna have to wait a couple more chapters for updates on the International Police or Mewtwo, for example.

Well, I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

**King nintendo (guest reviewer):** It'll certainly be epic, I'll tell you that!

**thor94:** Indeed, a lot of characters and plot. As for Ash, he's gonna start out his usual self (the first option), but he's gonna grow more as the story goes along. But I am certainly NOT gonna make him capture new Pokémon, ESPECIALLY not a Legendary Pokémon. It's out of my realism spectrum.

**SLIronLegion1012:** Glad to hear you want to read more! Yes, they'll reunite, and judging from the preview, definitely soon. ;)

**TheGhostShadow:** Ooh, you'll see about Clemont's change in personality, but it may be obvious to you. ;D Actually, about what you said about May's ORAS outfit, I do like it, but I intend to use that outfit as symbolism for something more..._negative_, per se. 'FemTwo' is indeed gonna be a good ally, obviously. :) As for Diancie and her situation, it's actually pretty unique, and you'll see soon in later chapters. Oh, of course I'd add Alain and Mairin! I've been interested in their story and I definitely didn't want to miss this chance to include them! Yes, Yancy's going to be in this story as well, but not in a role like Curtis's. As for your suggestion about TV Tropes, I have no idea how to use TV Tropes, or what kind of tropes I'm using. I'm not sure if TV Tropes would accept fanfiction, though...

**ajani's apprentice:** Yes, May's ORAS outfit is in here! And like I told TheGhostShadow, it's gonna be symbolism for something negative... ;)

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	4. The Will to Fight

**A/N:** I've posted a Table of Contents on my profile page. If you wanna know how long the story's gonna be, do check it. Otherwise, ENJOY!

**Edit #1:** Corrected an error pointed out by Gyga. Thanks! :D

**Edit #2:** I've done some new changes with the chapter so it could fit with what happened in the most recent episode in the XY anime.

**Edit #3:** Corrected an error pointed out by ChE clarinetist. Thanks! :D

* * *

**Autumnal Avenue  
Lumiose City, Kalos**

It was nighttime in Lumiose City, and there wasn't a single cloud present in the sky. As he looked up at the sky, so dark-blue that it was nearly black, Hilbert realized that he hadn't looked at the stars for so long. He couldn't even remember how long it had been since he had such a nice view. However, the stars were twinkling and still beautiful, just exactly as he remembered it. It only felt like yesterday now. For him, however, things would've been much better if...if...if...

"Tepig?"

Hilbert shook his head and looked down at Tepig, who was still tucked in his arms. The Fire Pig Pokémon was looking up at him with its shimmering eyes.

"Huh?" he replied. Then, Hilbert smiled at Tepig. "Oh, I'm fine, Tepig. I was just looking up at the sky." His eyes widened when he remembered something. "Oh, right! Tepig, you've never seen the night sky before, haven't you?" He raised Tepig slightly to give it more room to look up. "See it? Isn't it beautiful, Tepig?"

"Tepig!" the Fire Pig Pokémon exclaimed in wonder as it saw the sea of twinkling stars.

"Awesome, isn't it, huh?" Hilbert lowered his arms and looked at the still-amazed Tepig with a soft expression. "You spent your entire life having to act for BW Agency commercials. I spent my entire life being conditioned as the new BW Agency President. We both wasted our time with things we didn't want to do, when we should've been spending our lives doing something more..._worthwhile_... Like participating in Pokémon battles, like the ones we always saw on television..."

"Tepig..." moaned Tepig sadly.

"If only Hilda realized this too. She used to be so defiant about it, but now that she's actually president of the company, she's changed. Now she's always doing things for the good of the company, and she expects me to do the same." He sighed. "If only she realized there's more to life than just managing a top enterprise..."

"Tepig tepig!"

Hilbert shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Yeah, you're right, Tepig! We mustn't get too absorbed! We must find ourselves a Pokémon battle to participate in..."

He looked around him, inspecting the pedestrians walking by and past him. The boy was slightly relieved that his identity was concealed by the thick brown jacket he was wearing. And yet, he knew he could not just expose himself and challenge some random person to a battle. It would be too out of the blue, and probably not all that proper. And besides, he could NOT risk being pursued by a crowd of rabid fans. No, he had to find the perfect opportunity. THEN he would-

"OOF!"

Hilbert's thoughts were interrupted as he bumped into a boy with spiky raven-black hair and auburn eyes. He was wearing a blue-and-white-striped collared shirt with a black undershirt, dark-blue jeans, red high-top sneakers, and a distinctive red cap with a white brim and rounded Poké Ball symbol. However, what really caught the young president's attention was the Pikachu perched on the boy's shoulder; it had adorable amber eyes and the friendliest smile one could see on a Pokémon.

"Oh, sorry about that!" the boy exclaimed.

"Pikachu!" added the Pikachu.

"Oh, no worries," Hilbert replied.

"Tepig," Tepig added.

To his horror, the strange boy then leaned closer to Hilbert, as if inspecting him. He feared the boy was going to recognize him...

"Hey, do I know you from somewhere?" asked the boy.

"N-No," stuttered Hilbert, clearing his throat. "You must be mistaking me for someone else."

As the two continued to look at each other in curiosity, Hilbert began to delve into his personal thoughts. This boy obviously looked like one of those Pokémon Trainers they kept talking about. The cap alone was enough proof for him. After all, it was a BW Agency product designed specifically for Trainers.

_"But...should I challenge him to a battle?"_ he asked in his mind. _"Maybe I shouldn't. He probably just got done with a battle. He might not be in the mood for another one! Although...what if he _is _in a mood for another battle, though? He might be one of those battle-crazy types! ...If he is, what should I say to him? Do I need to be straightforward? Do I have to make some elegant request? Damn, I'm the head of a company that appeals to Pokémon Trainers and I can't even think like one!"_

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Pika?"

The boy's voice and the Pikachu brought him back to reality. He blinked and then flashed an innocent smile at the duo.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied. "Just...Just thinking about something!"

"Okay." The boy turned around and began to walk away; Hilbert noticed he was holding a couple of plastic bags. "See ya around, I guess!"

"Pika pika!" the Pikachu called happily.

Hilbert and Tepig watched as the boy walked away, all the while engaged in a happy conversation with the Pikachu, no doubt a good friend and partner of his. The two couldn't help but feel that a good opportunity for their first Pokémon battle had just walked away from them... And yet, Hilbert smiled slightly.

"Y-Yeah, see ya...I guess..." A few minutes passed, and then... "DAMN IT, **DAMN IT**! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! THAT WAS SO **STUPID**!"

"TEPIG!" the Fire Pig Pokémon hollered angrily.

* * *

**Chapter 2: The Will to Fight**

* * *

**Elsewhere on Autumnal Avenue**

"No, it can't be..." Serena said, surprised. "It can't be you!"

"So," replied Miette, sneering, "I guess I'll have to tell Ash how _I_ feel..."

Serena's eyes narrowed at her Poké Puff Contest rival. Though the two resolved their differences after competing in a Poké Puff Contest a couple of months back, she continued to feel some hostility towards Miette after her not-so-friendly farewell to her. And now that the blue-haired girl was standing right in front of her, she had to restrain herself from doing something stupid. Instead, she put on a friendly face, with all of the effort she had to muster regardless.

"Oh, h-hey there, Miette," she greeted, her lip twitching as she smiled. "Fancy seeing _you_ here..."

Miette's grin widened slightly. "Oh, come on, Serena. Don't think you can act all innocent. I can tell your sights have already shifted away from Ash..." She looked at Clemont, who began to blush furiously in embarrassment. "To be honest, I'm confused as to why you chose _him_. The glasses are already a big turn-off for me-"

"It's nothing like that, Miette!" interrupted Serena, her voice shaking.

"It-It's _not_?..." Clemont asked, looking at his friend nervously.

"Then what is it, then?" Miette crossed her arms. "Enlighten me, Serena."

"His dad sent us out on an errand. We're bringing him some food and drinks." She raised her bags for Miette to see. "Convinced?"

The blue-haired baker frowned at the bags and replied, "I guess." She shrugged and looked back at Serena. "So, I assume you are here to participate in the Poké Puff Contests in the PWT, am I right? 'Cause if you are-" A smug expression appeared on her face. "-it'll be _me_ who'll come out on top!"

"No, not anymore." For once during her second encounter with Miette, Serena felt extremely proud. "I'm now participating in Pokémon Showcases."

"Pokémon Showcases?" Miette blinked in shock. "You mean...You mean you're one of those _Pokémon Performers_? Is that what I'm hearing, Serena?"

Serena crossed her arms, her own smug expression forming. "Yep, that's right, Miette. I'm still a beginner, but I hope to work my way up to the big leagues!"

Unfortunately for her, Miette suddenly burst out laughing. In fact, she was laughing so hard she nearly fell over on the ground, being surprised by her own reaction.

"Now what's so FUNNY?!" demanded Serena, her honey hair flying as she stomped over towards her rival.

"Making modest Poké Puffs is one thing, Serena," Miette replied between her laughs, "but participating in those lame-as-heck Pokémon Showcases? Being a Pokémon Performer? That is a whole lot _worse_ than just making a batch of modest Poké Puffs!" Her laughs began to escalate. "I was expecting more from you, Serena, I really was! But for you to switch your focus like that, it's just hilarious! I guess all you ever do is just amuse me with your silly antics!"

Serena's face was turning redder and redder by the second. Miette calling her baking 'modest' and then threatening to go after Ash herself were different things. But calling Pokémon Showcases 'lame' and 'hilarious'? The very goal she wanted to pursue in life? How dare she do that!

Before she could act, however, Clemont already spoke for her.

"Hey, don't you say those things, Miette!" the aspiring inventor snapped at the baker in a voice so loud it even surprised him. "Serena never called Poké Puff Contests ridiculous, so that doesn't give you any right to go on about how Pokémon Showcases are lame! Do you get what I'm saying?!"

"Whoa, whoa, chill, I'm _sorry_!" Miette exclaimed, surprised by Clemont's behavior as everyone else. "Arceus, you don't have to be so loud on me!"

"Well," replied Serena angrily, "considering that you just insulted Pokémon Showcases, it gives him a perfect excuse to react that way. JUST as much as it gives me a perfect excuse to ram my _fist_-" She held up a trembling clenched fist up for Miette to see. "-through your TEETH!"

"Arceus, so aggressive!" Miette straightened out her headband and turned her back on the two. "I can see I'm not wanted here, so I'll leave you two lovebirds alone." That teasing remark caused Serena and Clemont to blush furiously in embarrassment. "I hope to see you in at least one Poké Puff Contest, Serena. I am quite a huge believer in finishing unfinished business, and for you to ditch Poké Puff Contests in favor of doing something more-" She abruptly paused for a moment to choose her words carefully. "_Unorthodox_, I'll just say...it just bugs me. It really does." The baker began walking away. "I'll see you soon, Serena. I like your new look, by the way. Toodles!"

Serena and Clemont watched her go with flustered looks on their faces. Once she was out of their sights, Clemont turned to Serena.

"Well..." he said, "that was..._awkward_, I'll just say."

"Tell me about it..." replied Serena as she sighed. "I can't believe she called Pokémon Showcases lame."

"I thought you two were over your feud?"

Serena sighed again, this time more heavily. The last words Miette told her during their first encounter were returning to her memory.

"Let's...Let's just say that we have unfinished business, like Miette said."

"So...what're you gonna do?"

Serena looked at her friend. "Huh?"

"I mean, are you gonna finish your 'unfinished business'?"

"Well, if I didn't, I obviously wouldn't hear the end of it from Miette." She glanced back at the direction Miette took. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to participate in one Poké Puff Contest. But...But I don't wanna neglect the Showcases. If, by any chance, a Showcase occurs at the same time as a Contest, it'll be a difficult decision for me to make." Serena sighed a third time. "Me, Braixen, and Pancham worked so hard to prepare for the Showcases, but...if I don't go to the Contest, who knows what will happen next? Miette will probably start scheming something very nasty..." She shuddered at all the possibilities. "I honestly don't wanna think about it right now..."

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right." Clemont began walking down the sidewalk. "Besides, the PWT and all the other side-competitions don't begin until another couple of weeks or so. There's no need to spend that kind of time worrying about it." He turned around and saw Serena standing still, looking down at the sidewalk silently. "Come on, Serena. It's getting late, and you're not properly dressed for the late-night temperatures! You might catch a cold or something!"

"Oh, sorry." Serena smiled as she followed Clemont down the sidewalk. After a few minutes of silence, she said, "Hey, Clemont?"

"Yeah, Serena?" the inventor replied, still staring ahead.

The girl leaned towards her friend, smiling widely. "Thanks for sticking up for me like that," she said sweetly. "That was very kind of you."

Clemont began to blush. Once again, with Serena's current position, he was dangerously close to her, and he didn't know how to handle it.

"Y-Y-You're w-welcome, S-Serena," he stuttered. Then, he cleared his throat and continued, more clearly this time, "It was very unexpected of me, though..."

"Yeah, very unexpected, if I do say so myself. I've never seen you so angry before!"

"I didn't think I had that kind of anger in me." He shrugged. "I guess if you push the right buttons, then I can snap like that..."

Serena giggled, causing his blush to worsen. "It's kinda hilarious, actually. In a good way, of course!"

"O-Oh, okay... Th-Thanks, I guess..."

The two remained silent as they continued making their way back to Meyer's place. All the while, Clemont's blush was still present. It flared up every time Serena was in close proximity to him. He honestly didn't know what was happening to him...but one thing was for sure: Serena had something to do with it.

* * *

**Autumnal Avenue Alleyways**

"Aw, man!" Hilbert moaned as he stepped into an alleyway. "I _knew_ I should've challenged that guy to a battle somehow! Now I've been finding JACK!"

"Tepig..." moaned Tepig sadly.

The president smiled slightly and stroked the Fire Pig Pokémon's fur. "It's okay, Tepig. We'll find a Trainer to challenge soon. I promise you that."

"Ah, so you wanna challenge someone, kid?" a female voice asked suddenly from the shadows of the alleyway, startling Hilbert and Tepig.

"Wha?" Then, Hilbert stuttered, "Y-Y-Y-Ye-_Yeah_..." He cleared his throat. "I-I mean, _yes_. Whoever's there, I challenge you to a battle with my Tepig!"

To his horror, three menacing figures stepped out of the shadows. One was a man with light-brown hair, a large tuft of dyed-blue hair, and piercing gray eyes. He was wearing a black leather jacket with gray metallic decorations, a white undershirt with a symbol of a Klang on it, blue jeans with strange X and O patterns on it, and a pair of strapped black boots. The other two were women, one with black hair and hazel eyes and the other with dark-brown hair and blue eyes. Both had twin pigtails of hot-pink, braided hair, and were wearing low-cut black tank-tops, torn blue jeans whose leggings were torn off, and yellow pantyhose.

"S-S-So, w-what is t-this?" Hilbert continued, being intimidated by the presence of this trio. "I-Is th-this gonna be a-a, uh, um...Triple Battle? I-I don't have two other Pokémon with me-" His skin paled when the three pulled out Poké Balls of their own, and Tepig began to tremble considerably. "W-Wait, h-hold on!"

"We don't care if you don't have two other Pokémon with you, kid," one of the women, the one who had black hair and hazel eyes, snarled.

Hilbert's eyes widened. "H-Hey! That's cheating! Y-You can't gang up on a Trainer l-like this-"

"Hey, that's what we live for!" the other woman interrupted, smirking triumphantly as she kept tossing her Poké Ball up and down.

"What you live for? W-What do you m-mean by that?..."

"You picked the wrong battlefield, kid," the first woman said. "You see-"

"-You're on OUR turf," completed the man.

"And for that," said the second woman, "you must pay the toll."

"T-T-To-_Toll_?..." Hilbert stuttered, alarmed. He didn't have much money on him, and he didn't know how much this toll demanded.

"Yes. After all, you're in the Autumnal Avenue Alleyways, territory of the Lumiose City Gang!"

"L-L-L-Lumiose C-City G-G-G-Ga-_Gang_?!"

"My, you're a bright one," the man sneered.

Beads of sweat broke out on Hilbert's forehead and began to drip down his face. He wanted to run, but he couldn't. He was just..._frozen in place_. He could not believe he was stupid enough to venture into dangerous areas! And with Tepig, one of the BW Agency mascots! He knew what was going to happen: the gang members try to take their toll from him, get unsatisfied with the amount of money he had, demand for more, and expose his identity in the process. Hilbert didn't want to know what would happen after that. ...Oh, how hopelessly STUPID he was! If Hilda found out about this, he wouldn't even hear the end of it!

He looked down at Tepig, who was also paralyzed with fear. If the gang members demanded Tepig, then...then...

"Don't just stand there like a statue, kid!" snapped the hazel-eyed woman. "Give us all you got! And _maybe_ we'll let you go..."

However, Hilbert continued to remain still. The man sighed angrily.

"Well, I guess we're not making ourselves clear enough, ladies," he growled at his companions.

The man threw his Poké Ball, which unleashed a Krookodile that growled at Hilbert and Tepig. Both shivered at the sight of the Intimidation Pokémon. The two women also threw their own Poké Balls, unleashing a Pangoro and a Mandibuzz. The latter Pokémon began circling overhead in the alleyway, further intimidating the two.

"So," the blue-eyed woman said, "what's your response, kid? Gonna give us the toll or what?"

Hilbert and Tepig's eyes widened as the Krookodile and Pangoro closed in on them, both growling viciously at them.

"No," Hilbert replied fearfully. "No, no, no, wait, WAIT!"

"Don't say we didn't warn ya," the man said. "Krookodile, use-"

"PIKACHU, USE THUNDERBOLT!" a familiar voice ordered.

A bolt of yellow electricity appeared and struck both Krookodile and Pangoro. To Hilbert's surprise, Krookodile unflinchingly took the attack and was undamaged by it, but fortunately, Pangoro was not as lucky, having to kneel over in pain. The president then twirled around and saw someone standing there.'

"Incompetent boy!" the blue-eyed woman shouted. "Mandibuzz! Use Brave Bird!"

The Mandibuzz squawked and flew into the air, becoming engulfed in red fire. Hilbert and Tepig watched in wonder as it then swooped down towards the boy, its body glowing a light-blue. However, an unknown Pokémon jumped off the boy's shoulder, while the boy sidestepped Mandibuzz's attack, avoiding it altogether.

"Damn it!" snarled the woman. "DAMN IT! MANDIBUZZ! BRAVE BIRD AGAIN!"

"Krookodile, use Bite!" the man commanded.

"Pangoro, use Sky Uppercut!" the hazel-eyed woman ordered.

All three Pokémon closed in on the boy's Pokémon...

"Hey, watch out!" Hilbert cried.

"Tep tepig!" added Tepig.

"PIKACHU, USE QUICK ATTACK!" the boy shouted. The Pikachu nodded and rushed towards its opponents, a trail of white being left in its wake. The Mouse Pokémon slammed into all three of the gang members' Pokémon, sending them flying backward and colliding painfully into their Trainers.

"OW!" the man roared. "ARCEUS-**DAMN** IT!"

"PIKA-PI!" yelled the Pikachu as it stared down its opponents aggressively.

"How could the three of you gang up on someone who has only one Pokémon and nothing else?!" the boy demanded furiously. At this point, Hilbert recognized him as the boy he bumped into on the sidewalk earlier, the one wearing the red cap. "That's cheating, totally not fair! Not to mention plain cowardly too!"

"Oh, look who's talking!" the blue-eyed woman snapped. "You and your Pikachu just beating the crud out of us like that!"

"At least I have other Pokémon to back me up. Wanna meet 'em?"

The three gang members all looked at their injured Pokémon. Deducing that they couldn't battle any further with their current condition, they growled angrily as they stood up and recalled them back in their Poké Balls. Hilbert immediately joined Ash's side as the trio faced down both boys and their Pokémon.

"This isn't over!" the man snarled as he burst into a run, followed by his female comrades. "We'll be back!"

"And I'll be looking forward to it!" called Ash as the gangsters disappeared. Then, he looked at Hilbert and Tepig. "Are you two okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Hilbert replied, nodding. "Thanks for saving my butt."

"Tepig!" added Tepig happily. This caught the boy's attention, and he smiled.

"Hey, a Tepig!"

The boy pulled out a Pokédex, activated it, and scanned Tepig with it. _**"Tepig, the Fire Pig Pokémon,"**_ described the device's robotic voice. _**"**__**It can dodge attacks from foes while shooting fireballs from its nose. It has a preference for eating berries that are roasted by it."**_

"Tepig's a Unova starter Pokémon," Ash said as he put his Pokédex away, "so you must be from Unova, right?"

Hilbert felt the beads of sweat returning. He didn't want to expose his identity just yet; what if this boy was some rabid fan who'll chase him everywhere? He certainly didn't want to waste his time trying to evade a fan. So, Hilbert knew he had to lie his way out of the undesirable predicament.

"Yeah, yeah, that's right!" he replied. "Name's Bernard, from Nuvema Town. And this is my starter Pokémon, Tepig!"

"Tepig!" greeted the Fire Pig Pokémon.

The boy's smile widened. "Nice to meet you, Bernard, Tepig! My name's Ash, from Pallet Town."

"Pallet Town?"

"Yeah, it's a place in the Kanto region."

Hilbert blinked in surprise. He didn't expect someone from a foreign region like Kanto to be this well-dressed, let alone wear BW Agency clothing...

Ash continued, "Oh, and this is my partner, Pikachu!"

"Pikachu!" the Mouse Pokémon greeted as it hopped onto its Trainer's shoulder.

"Tepig!" Tepig replied, addressing Pikachu.

"Nice to meet you, Ash, Pikachu," Hilbert said. "I can't thank you enough for saving me from those gangsters."

"It's no problem," Ash replied. Then, he turned his back, picked up some plastic bags that were lying nearby, and prepared to leave. "Well, I gotta go. Need to get all these supplies back to the place I'm staying at." He turned around and looked at Hilbert. "You probably should get going back to your hotel. It's getting really late!"

Hilbert blinked and began to think. At this point, his best chance at having a Pokémon battle would be to challenge Ash. He seemed nice enough. But just like Ash had already said, it was getting pretty late. With those gang members still out there, it probably wasn't the best idea for him to keep exploring Lumiose City in search of a potential Trainer to challenge. He didn't want to return to the mansion, though; security was much tighter during the night and if he were caught unawares by one of the guards, no doubt would suspicion be cast over him. Plus, he told Hilda he'd be out for the entire night, so he couldn't just return now, out of the blue-

_"Wait a minute..."_ thought Hilbert. _"I...I'm gonna be out for the entire night. I can't just return to the mansion now; I made it extremely clear to Hilda that I would be gone for the whole time. But..."_ Then, he mentally face-palmed himself. _"But I didn't get reservations for a hotel room! Oh Arceus, NO!"_

"Bernard, you okay?"

Hilbert looked up at Ash, who looked confused. He remained at the scene, apparently in wait for a response.

"Oh, I'm fine, Ash," he replied. "It's just..."

"Just what?" Ash asked.

"I didn't...reserve a room for a hotel..." He hesitated, wondering if he should just buy Ash's sympathy. "And I don't have any other place to stay at..."

"Oh man, that must suck." Then, Ash's auburn eyes brightened. "Hey, I know! Why don't you stay over at the place I'm staying at?"

The president's eyes widened in surprise. "What? You'd really let me stay over?"

"Hey, no one deserves to be left wandering around in the cold, especially when it's in dangerous streets! Come on, the building I'm staying at is even on this street. I am pretty sure my friend's dad will let you stay over for the night." Ash approached Hilbert, who looked at him in wonder. "What do you say, Bernard?"

"Pika!" added Pikachu in a friendly tone.

The brown-haired teenage boy blinked in shock. He'd never seen so much compassion before in his life. Being the head of a prestigious company like the BW Agency didn't demand any positive emotions. No, it was just sorting through confusing papers, sitting through boring professional meetings, and having to make flawless and perfect performances during shows and advertisements. For all his life, he heard nothing but demands and expectations, so seeing this kind of compassion was rare.

"I...I'd like to..." Hilbert replied, his eyes shimmering with tears. "Thank you... Thank you for the offer!"

Ash raised an eyebrow, noticing Hilbert's tears. "Whoa, Bernard? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." The boy wiped his eyes. "I'm fine. Show me the way, Ash."

As the raven-haired Trainer led the way, Hilbert looked down at Tepig and smiled. Maybe, just maybe, they were one step closer to their goal...and maybe beyond...

* * *

**M Electronics  
Several minutes later**

"Wait a minute, _what_?"

Meyer glanced down at Ash and Pikachu as the former finished his explanation of the current situation. Hilbert and Tepig, in the meantime, looked around, examining the electrical appliance store curiously. Since his shopping always took place in upscale, high-end areas, Hilbert never really got a look at what Hilda considered to be lower-level stores. And to think, the store also doubled as a house? The idea of that would sound unappealing on paper, but Hilbert never really liked the high life and all of its demands. Therefore, the company president found himself to be extremely interested in how Ash's friend's lived his life.

"Like I said, Meyer," Ash said, "Bernard here doesn't have a place to stay at and-"

"Oh, I heard what you said the first time, Ash," interrupted Meyer suddenly. Hilbert didn't like how stern the man's voice sounded; was it a hint of disapproval? "But if this young man were to stay here, it wouldn't be possible. As much as it'd be good for business here, we don't wanna attract any unnecessary attention."

"Unnecessary attention?"

"Yeah." Meyer glared at Hilbert, who began to sweat nervously. "Because this disguise can't fool me..._Hilbert Black_."

"W-Wh-What?!" stuttered Hilbert, just before Meyer grabbed his drawn hood and thrust it off, revealing Hilbert's face.

"_WHAT_?!" Ash shouted in surprise. "I-I _know_ you! I saw you on all the brochures and everything! You're Hilbert Black, one of the BW Agency Presidents!"

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu in shock.

"Yeah, I guess I am..." Hilbert replied sadly as he sighed heavily. "Sorry about lying, Ash. I just didn't want any fans drooling all over me."

"Tepig tep-tepig..." added Tepig.

"And I certainly don't want any reporters flooding around the store and making Clemont and Bonnie nervous," said Meyer sternly.

"That's not my intention, sir! I just...I just wanted to get away..."

"Get away?" asked Ash. "Get away from what?"

"My life. Just for one night, at least." Hilbert closed his eyes. "You see, it is not easy, being the president of a company like the BW Agency. It takes its toll on anyone, especially a kid like me." He opened his eyes and looked at Ash, Pikachu, and Meyer. "That is why...I fled the place I'm staying at and began exploring Lumiose City! I wanted to see all the stuff it had on my own, without bodyguards, paparazzi, crazy fans...everything, practically."

"Wow." Ash then looked at Tepig. "And I guess this Tepig is the same Tepig who's one of the BW Agency mascots?"

"Yeah. He feels the same way I do." A smile then appeared on the president's face. "You see, we both share a dream, a goal, actually."

"A goal? What kind of goal?"

Hilbert closed his eyes again, but this time, the smile remained on his face. "To have a Pokémon battle."

"A Pokémon battle?" The black-haired Trainer raised an eyebrow. "Don't you have Pokémon battles all the time?"

"No, actually." He opened his eyes and looked at Ash, smiling brightly. "I hoped I could find a Pokémon Trainer who I can challenge to my first battle!"

"Your first battle?!" exclaimed Ash. "Why didn't you challenge me earlier?! I could've gladly battled you!"

"Well..." Hilbert began fidgeting with his fingers. "I really didn't know exactly what to say..."

"All you had to do was say 'Hey, let's have a Pokémon battle! It's my first, so I'd really like to have one' or something like that!"

"R-R-Really?" The president began to blush in embarrassment. "So it's _that_ straightforward, huh?..."

"Don't worry." Ash made a determined fist. "I'll teach you how to battle!"

"PIKA!" added Pikachu in encouragement.

Hilbert's eyes widened. "What? You'd really be willing to do that?"

"Of course! I need some practice for my PWT matches, anyway. Might as well seize this opportunity!"

"Alright! Let's have a Pokémon battle now!"

"Tepig!" cried Tepig as he snorted out small flames in determination.

"Well..." Ash began rubbing the back of his head. "It's nighttime now, and I was hoping I'd call it a day..."

"Oh..."

Noticing the sadness in Hilbert's voice, Ash continued, "But we can battle tomorrow, don't worry about it!"

"But I can't go back to my place," replied Hilbert. "I told Hilda and the others I would be gone for the night..."

"Then you can stay here with us for the night!"

Hilbert's eyes brightened again. "Really?"

"Oh, no!" Meyer shouted abruptly. "Absolutely not! I can't afford to have Clemont and Bonnie spooked by the paparazzi-"

"Trust me, mister, I'm not here to bring the paparazzi over here. I'll keep a low cover, I promise!"

Suddenly, the ringing of the bell signaled the store door opening up. Serena and Clemont were entering the store, carrying their plastic bags. Serena seemed normal, but Clemont was blushing rather furiously for some reason. Then, the honey-haired girl spotted Hilbert and dropped her bags in shock.

"Uh...hey there?..." greeted Hilbert nervously as Ash and Meyer sweat-dropped.

The following hour was spent trying to calm down an excited Serena.

* * *

**678 Vernal Avenue**

Adam smirked to himself as he finished the last of the devices he set up for his scheme. Sitting back on the sofa he was sitting on, he began to think.

He never really cared about the scheme. Not at all, admittedly. All he cared about was seeking revenge against the Trainer who meddled in his affairs. The one named Serena Yates. Her and that little excuse of a Fennekin. Ever since the two burned half of his face, he knew he had to settle the score in the most sadistic way possible. After all, Adam _never_ allowed anyone to get away with messing with him. It was a policy that he held close to his heart.

The sole reason he partook in the ransom scheme (suggested by Nick, the incompetent buffoon he was) was because he knew she would conveniently be there. If she was not the one participating in this PWT, then it would have to be one of her precious little friends. Either way, he **KNEW** she would be there. And once he found her, he'd strike. Oh, he could _already_ imagine him committing unspeakable, heinous acts of torture upon her and her friends.

He could imagine her screams, her pleas for him to KILL her...

Suddenly, there was a brief flash of light in the poorly-illuminated room. Adam's smile widened as he viewed the figure that materialized in front of him.

"You can't wait for the day either," he said. "Isn't that right, Delphox?"

Delphox nodded and growled at its Trainer, an evil sneer of its own forming.

* * *

**M Electronics  
The next day**

_"So, I guess I'll have to tell Ash how _I_ feel..."_

Serena's eyelids jerked upon, and the first thing that greeted her sights was the burst of bright light. As soon as her eyes adjusted to the light, she sat up on her bed, letting out a heavy sigh as she buried her face in her palms. After a couple of seconds, she looked out of the window, noticing the rays of sunlight.

_"Whether or not I decide to participate in a Poké Puff Contest,"_ she thought, _"it won't matter. I'm definitely gonna see Miette again soon. And if Ash is there this time, then..."_ Her thoughts trailed off as she began imagining a scenario of Miette confessing to Ash, who then reciprocates her feelings. _"...Then..."_

"Hey, Serena!" called a familiar voice.

"Yeah, Ash?" Serena replied, feeling her heart flutter for a moment.

"Breakfast is ready! Come down before everyone else chows it down!"

"Alright! Coming!"

The honey-haired Trainer got out of the bed, put on her slippers, grabbed her purse, and rushed down the stairs. Upon entering the kitchen, she immediately spotted Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, and Meyer all seated at a circular wooden table, eating food from their plates. The Pokémon were all at the side, eating Pokémon food from the bowls set up. She was about to join them when she noticed someone else sitting at the table, one that she almost forgot about: Hilbert Black.

She remembered her sudden, out-of-the-blue meeting with him last night. At first, she honestly couldn't believe her eyes. A famous celebrity she followed daily, here in the very residence she was staying at? It was a fangirl's dream! That was when her voice went at abnormally high speeds as she introduced herself, shook Hilbert's hand, examined him thoroughly to make sure he was legitimate, and asked for his autograph. It took Ash, Meyer, and Clemont almost an hour to calm her down. But by that time, Bonnie had also awoken from the nap she was having, saw Hilbert, and had an unfortunately similar reaction.

Once both girls were placated, Serena and Bonnie learned from Ash what Hilbert told him and Meyer. She honestly could not believe Hilbert was very dissatisfied with his lifestyle and desperately wanted to do something _regular_. As a teenage boy who lived a very wealthy and luxurious lifestyle, surely he would have to be one of the luckiest and happiest people to ever walk on the world, someone who would draw jealousy from others underneath him.

But obviously, she was more than happy to help Ash teach Hilbert the ropes of Pokémon battling, even if she wasn't the biggest expert.

And now that Hilbert was her acquaintance, Serena knew she needed to keep her emotions at bay. This was a serious matter, and she knew it!

After composing herself, the girl sat down in the remaining empty chair and began setting up her cereal and milk.

"Oh, good morning, Serena," greeted Hilbert, smiling at her.

"Morning, Hilbert," Serena replied, looking at him. As soon as she did, she noticed he was still wearing pajamas. Of course, she and everyone else, sans Meyer, were still wearing their sleepwear too, but the pajamas Hilbert was wearing were old pajamas loaned by Clemont. It was weird seeing him wearing that kind of clothing...

"So, Ash," Hilbert piped as he looked at Ash, "what's the plan? What're we gonna do today?"

"What're we gonna do today?" replied Ash. "We're gonna have a Pokémon battle, of course, and I'm gonna teach you the ropes!"

"Pika PIKA!" added Pikachu.

"Yeah, but where are we gonna have that battle? I know we're supposed to do it in a clear area, but I don't know if the plaza's gonna be of any help-"

"There's a battlefield east of the city," Clemont interrupted. "Ash and I had our first battle together there. We're gonna use that one."

"Alright. And what Pokémon are you gonna use, Ash?"

"Pikachu, for starters." Then, Ash's eyes narrowed seriously. "Here is a tip of advice, Hilbert. Your opponents are usually never gonna tell you what Pokémon they are gonna use. You have to be on top of what kind of Pokémon they're using, even if you've never seen one of its species before. Treat every battle with caution."

Hilbert nodded. "Gotcha." Then, he flashed a wide smile. "Man, I'm sure glad I found you in the streets last night! Otherwise I would've been screwed for good!"

* * *

**In the skies of Lumiose City**

"Well? See any electronics stores yet?"

"No Jess, I haven't."

"Me neitha."

Jessie, James, and Meowth groaned loudly as they scanned the city below thoroughly using their binoculars. Ever since sunrise, the trio had been searching the entire city for a place where they could acquire some batteries for their equipment. However, none of them were able to find anything useful for the past couple of hours.

"Man, dis stinks," Meowth moaned as he lowered his binoculars. "We haven't found anyting for da whole moyning!"

"Relax, Meowth," snarled Jessie angrily as she continued searching. "We're bound to find something soon. This isn't Kalos's biggest city for nothing, ya know!"

"I coulda eaten a million whole breakfasts during dis time..."

"We'll eat all the breakfasts to our hearts' content after we find an electronics store, grab everything we need, and contact the boss! Now keep searching!"

Meowth sighed as he raised the binoculars back to his eyes. At first, he still couldn't see anything down below. But then, after a few minutes...

"Hey, what's dat?" he asked.

"What?" James replied, turning to his comrade. "You see something, Meowth?"

"Yeah. _Yeah_. I see one of dem electronics stoyes!"

"Oh, brilliant!" exclaimed Jessie as she put her binoculars away. "Let's swoop in down there and get all the stuff we need!"

"Ooh, better yet!" A malicious grin appeared on Meowth's face. "I see da twoips..."

"The twerps?" Jessie and James asked simultaneously.

"Yes, da twoips." Meowth put away his binoculars. "Why not steal batteries, when we can go afta da main twoip's Pikachu instead!"

As soon as Jessie and James put two and two together, evil grins of their own formed. Team Rocket shared a sinister giggle together as they redirected their Meowth hot-air balloon in the direction Ash and the others were headed. As they did, Wobbuffet popped out of its Poké Ball, shouting, "Wobbuffet!"

* * *

**The battlefield  
Eastern Lumiose City**

Ash and Hilbert stared down each other on either side of the battlefield, wide and determined smiles etched on their faces. Pikachu and Tepig were standing in front of their Trainers, staring each other down, also with determined expressions. Clemont stood on the side of the battlefield, acting as the referee of the match. Serena and Bonnie were sitting on the nearby bench, watching the unfolding scene with interest with Dedenne, who was perched on Bonnie's head.

"Alright!" announced Clemont. "The battle between Ash Ketchum and Hilbert Black will be ready to commence!"

"Ready, Hilbert?" asked Ash. "Hope you know Tepig's moves."

"I've been waiting for this my whole life, Ash," Hilbert replied, his smile widening. "And I've seen Tepig use its moves for commercials. Of course I'm ready!"

"Now _that's_ what I like to hear!" Ash looked at Pikachu. "You ready, Pikachu?"

"PIKA!" replied Pikachu loudly.

"Hope you're ready, Tepig," Hilbert said, looking at the Fire Pig Pokémon, "because this is our first Pokémon battle! It's now or never!"

"TEPIG!" replied Tepig, shooting flames out of its nostrils in preparation.

"ALRIGHT!" Clemont yelled at the top of his lungs. "BATTLE **BEGIN**!"

* * *

**Elsewhere in the same area**

"Sis, why do we have to carry all of these bags?!"

"Arceus, how many times do I have to tell you, Max? Don't call me 'sis'!"

Dawn sighed as she watched the two siblings resume the argument they started as soon as they left their hotel. She was currently walking alongside May, Misty, and Zoey, with Brock, Cilan, Max, Brock's brother Forrest, Cilan's brothers Chili and Cress, Barry, and Kenny trailing behind them. The boys were all carrying bags holding all of the items the girls bought from stores all over Lumiose City during the past couple of years. Earlier this morning, the group met up with Barry and Kenny when the two just arrived in Kalos to participate in the PWT. Needless to say, the girls quickly recruited the both of them to assist the other boys in carrying their bags.

Much to their displeasure, of course.

"My goodness," moaned Brock, who was the one with the heaviest load. "When I said I wanted to do some catching up with you girls, I didn't mean we should spend that time with you four shopping all around Lumiose City while we guys carry all the burden. Can't you girls just carry some of the bags?"

"Why?" Misty asked, winking in a teasing manner. "Can't you guys be gentlemen and help us ladies out?"

"Not when the guys are doing ALL the work!" snapped Barry. He then turned to his fellow comrades, his eyes alive with the energy that was his trademark. "Come on, you guys! We need to rebel against this torture! I mean, we outnumber them eight to four! Let's use our numbers to intimidate the girls into carrying these bags!"

"What was that you were saying, Barry?" Dawn, Misty, May, and Zoey asked simultaneously as they approached the blond Trainer, all of them wearing innocent smiles that could only signify impending doom. Barry immediately noticed the ominous change of atmosphere and took a step backward, his blood running cold.

"N-N-No-Nothing..." he stuttered.

"That's what we thought!" Misty replied, still smiling innocently. The four girls then resumed walking, with the boys right behind them.

"To think," said Cilan as he approached Barry, "you almost had them..."

However, Barry crossed his arms angrily. "Some friends you are," he replied nastily. "You didn't have my back. That kind of behavior will only get you fined!"

"It's just like Dee Dee to be shopping like this," Kenny said. Then, he sighed sadly. "Only now, there are four of her..."

The boys, sans Max, all let out disappointed sighs.

"What're we doing here, anyway?" piped Max, looking around to examine the presence of trees.

"We're exploring, Max!" Dawn replied, having heard his question. "What else?"

"Odd," Barry said as he pouted. "Seems to me you girls are just looking for another store to shop at- EEK!"

The four girls all silenced him immediately with ominous looks on their faces.

"ALRIGHT!" a voice suddenly yelled nearby. "BATTLE **BEGIN**!"

"What was that?" asked Chili.

"It sounds like there's a Pokémon battle going on nearby," Brock replied.

"Definitely sounds like it," Forrest added.

Then, the eight boys looked at one another, sensing the opportunity coming to them. Before the four girls knew what would be happening next, their 'gentlemen' had dropped their bags and fled towards the direction from which the voice came from. Dawn, May, Misty, and Zoey looked at each other, shook their heads, and sighed.

"Boys..." they chorused.

* * *

"You first, Hilbert!" said Ash.

"Alright!" Hilbert cried, pointing at Pikachu. "Tepig, use Ember!"

"Tepig!" the Fire Pig Pokémon replied, nodding before firing a shower of embers at Pikachu.

"Dodge it, Pikachu!" ordered Ash. Pikachu immediately dodged the attack.

"Keep it on, Tepig!" Hilbert commanded. "Keep using Ember!"

"Keep on dodging it, Pikachu!"

Tepig nodded and began firing Ember at all directions, all of which were dodged by Pikachu. The Fire Pig Pokémon tried to follow its opponent's moves, but its Embers wound up missing its target each and every time. Ash surveyed Tepig's movement as Pikachu continued dodging and suddenly found himself an opportunity to strike.

"Better be careful on your pattern, Hilbert!" he warned.

Hilbert's eyes widened. "Huh?"

"PIKACHU, USE THUNDERBOLT!"

"Pika-**CHUUUUU!**"

"DODGE IT, TEPIG!"

Tepig stopped firing its Ember and tried to sidestep the attack, but it was too late. The Thunderbolt struck it with full force, and the Fire Pig Pokémon yelled out loudly as it was being electrocuted. Hilbert gasped in horror as the Thunderbolt stopped, to which Tepig collapsed on the ground.

"**TEPIG!**"

"You see, Hilbert," explained Ash, "you were making Tepig fire Ember endlessly while Pikachu kept dodging. Using one attack is not good enough. You need to counter the opponent with a variety of attacks. Using Ember and Ember alone will give the other Trainer a distinct advantage, since they will realize what your next command is gonna be, and they'll use that to their advantage. Plus, the way your Tepig was firing while it was trying to get Pikachu, it was moving from left to right. Anyone can see such a pattern and find a hole in it. Now, if I remember my own Tepig well, the other attacks they can use are Flamethrower and Flame Charge."

"Well," replied Hilbert, looking at Tepig as it got up, "Tepig knows Flame Charge, I definitely know that. But it definitely doesn't know Flamethrower. Trying to get it to learn Flamethrower has Hilda going crazy." His eyes suddenly softened. "But...if I have Tepig use Flame Charge, it could get hurt-"

"Hurt by what?"

"By hitting the Pokémon. What if there's recoil damage?"

"There isn't recoil damage for Flame Charge if I recall. You don't have to worry, Hilbert."

"And then...there's the fact that Tepig isn't as comfortable using Flame Charge as it is using Ember..."

Ash exhaled, smiled slightly, and replied, "Hilbert, a Pokémon battle is not just about firing attacks at the opponent and see if they'll hit. It's also about demonstrating if you and your Pokémon have overcome the obstacles you faced during training, as well as recognizing new ones. From those new ones, you shall get the inspiration to train your Pokémon even further, so the two of you can overcome those new ones. Training Pokémon and battling Pokémon are one and the same. You cannot have one without the other. It's all about how effectively you train your Pokémon, like your Tepig, that determines how well you battle."

Hilbert stared in wonder at the black-haired Trainer as he listened through the entire explanation. His eyes were shimmering in awe.

"Wow..." Hilbert said as he looked back at Tepig. "All my life, I see Pokémon battles on television. I never imagined Trainers have to actually go through all that hard effort and work to make sure their Pokémon sustain themselves well on the battlefield... I thought it just...it just _happens_..."

"You cannot solely depend on what you see from other people as your information," Clemont said. "_Especially_ from something as limited as television. As the Lumiose City Gym Leader, I know for a fact that Pokémon battling is something you must perfect with your own Pokémon and yourself first before you perfect it with others. It is one of the basic principles of the sport. From knowing the capabilities of yourself and your Pokémon, you are one step closer to becoming stronger."

"Yeah, yeah, Clemont's right!" exclaimed Bonnie, nodding in agreement. "At first, I thought battling would be one of the easiest things to do in the whole wide world! But after seeing my brother, Ash, and Serena train their Pokémon, I knew I would have a hard time too." Then, she smiled. "But that's what makes it even more fun!"

"Dedenne!" added Dedenne.

"Wow..." Hilbert looked at Tepig, who was looking back at him. "So, then...I've been doing this wrong, then..." The brim of his cap obscured his eyes. "All wrong..."

Ash's eyes widened. "Um...sorry if we offended you, Hilbert. We were just-"

"No, no, it's okay." The president looked back up at Ash. His eyes were devoid of tears. "In fact, it's better than okay. I just learned something from you guys. And it's wonderful. It's _really_ wonderful. I never trained Tepig that much. I thought it'd be easy." He smile widened considerably. "But I guess I've got a lot more work to do!"

"So, should we continue our battle? Or should we help you train Tepig so he can be used with Flame Charge?"

Hilbert laughed once. "Definitely train Tepig!"

"Tepig?" asked the Fire Pig Pokémon, looking up at Hilbert in confusion. Then, it smiled as it understood. "Tepig!"

"Alright!" Ash made a determined fist as Pikachu hopped onto his shoulder. "I guess it's settled, then! We train Tepig!"

"Pika!" added Pikachu.

"YAY!" Bonnie exclaimed as she hopped in the air.

"Dede!" added Dedenne happily.

The BW Agency President smiled at his new friends, then looked down at Tepig. He could not believe he found such good people. They were definitely better than the people he came across during his work. Ash was high-spirited, determined, and never gave up. Clemont was extremely intelligent and had a lot of experience to back him up as a Gym Leader. Bonnie was upbeat and optimistic all the time. Serena...well, he never got to learn her personality outside of her fangirl attitude, but he was sure she had something admirable. Maybe, just maybe, with their help, he could actually find the courage he needed to...

* * *

Nearby, a shady Trainer dressed in all black was watching the scene. He couldn't help but grin as he overheard Ash's lecture to Hilbert.

"Well, what do you know?" Alain asked to no one in particular. "This looks _interesting_..."

He then walked away to search for Mairin and Chespie.

* * *

"So," Ash said, "let's say we-"

However, he was cut off as soon as a robotic arm appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Pikachu.

"PIKAPI!" shouted Pikachu worriedly.

"PIKACHU!" Ash cried as Serena, Hilbert, Clemont, and Bonnie all gasped in shock. "WHO DID THAT?!"

"Prepare for trouble, you're in for a shock!" a familiar voice said.

"And make it double, it is your world we'll rock!" a second familiar voice said as the group looked up and saw a Meowth hot-air balloon descending slowly.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"And it's James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of lightning!"

"Surrender now, or the consequences will be frightening!"

"Meowth, dat's right!" a third familiar voice shouted.

"WOBBUFFET!" shouted the voice of a Wobbuffet as it popped out of its Poké Ball.

**"TEAM ROCKET!"** Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie roared angrily.

"Team...who?" asked Hilbert.

"They're crooks who steal other people's Pokémon!" the four replied simultaneously, but everyone was surprised when other voices also added in to the response.

"W-What was dat?" asked Meowth.

Then, everyone saw them: Misty, Brock, May, Max, Dawn, Zoey, Cilan, Forrest, Barry, Kenny, Chili, and Cress, all of whom were running towards Ash and the others.

"OH, NO!" Jessie, James, and Meowth shouted simultaneously. "IT'S A TWERP/TWOIP INFESTATION!"

"WOBBUFFET!" added Wobbuffet.

"I see you three still haven't changed!" snapped Misty.

"You give Pikachu back right now!" May hollered.

"Or else!" roared Dawn.

"Well," sneered Jessie malevolently, "we'd love to stay and do some reminiscing and catching up, but as much as we'd love to-" She procured a remote and pressed a button, causing rockets to appear on the sides of the basket of Team Rocket's hot-air balloon. "-we sadly cannot. HAHAHAHAHA!"

The buttons activated themselves, causing the balloon to race away.

"TOODLES!" called Team Rocket.

**"PIKACHU!"** Ash screeched loudly.

* * *

_"The art of the Pokémon battle is certainly a most interesting thing. When you look at both sides of the battlefield, you can clearly see how determined the Trainers are to give it their all, to show how developed their relationships with their Pokémon are, to demonstrate good sportsmanship. It's not just about who's the most powerful. It's not just about who was more of **the will to fight**. It's all about the evaluation of the compatibility that is between Trainer and Pokémon."_

–Professor Samuel Oak, during the 93rd Annual Pokémon Institute Conference

* * *

**Next time on "Judgment's Fall"**

**Hilbert:** I've gotta help them somehow!

**Ash:** PIKACHU!

**Meowth:** Time to enact Plan B...

**Unknown:** No matter what, you three will always be the same hopeless losers to us.

**Ash:** I can't believe it's been a while since I last saw you guys!

**Floyd:** Well...fancy seeing you guys here...

**Iris:** Took us a while, but we're finally here, huh Axew?

**Axew: **AXEW!

**Chapter 3: A Heroic Union**

* * *

**A/N:** Probably not the best chapter I've ever written. I didn't even realize I forgot about Wobbuffet for a couple of chapters. I'm still trying to get the hang of dealing with multiple characters at once, so please bear with any fluctuations in quality in the meantime. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this!

I'd like to thank the following for reviewing:

**thor94:** Trust me, there are a lot more people to go, actually. ;) And I believe May's the only one who accomplished her dream. But don't worry. Ash will get stronger eventually. Not to the point where he goes around catching Legendary Pokémon, though. None of the good guys will do that. And...where'd Tobias come from?

**Avatar Rikki:** Yes, we will find out the answer soon.

**Gyga (guest reviewer):** So...were you correct?

**Guest reviewer:** I didn't put "Ash/Serena, AmourShipping, SatoSere!" in the fic's summary for nothing, you know. Of course it'll be AmourShipping! But there's also gonna be a whole lot of other Ash shippings involved, obviously. NONE OF THEM will prevail, though. Only AmourShipping.

**ajani's apprentice:** As I said earlier, a lot of Ash shippings will be involved! Indeed it'll be interesting. :)

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	5. A Heroic Union

**Lumiose City International Airport  
****Lumiose City, Kalos**

It was a busier day than usual at the Lumiose City International Airport, just as it was for several weeks now. Ever since the Pokémon World Festival opened its doors to everyone from across the globe, the airport's buildings were filled up nearly to the brink with the latest arrivals, and the stores there enjoyed an increased amount of sales. Of the amount of people leaving Lumiose City, there was about a hundred times more for those who were arriving.

Of those who arrived today, only two people stood out. One was taller than the other, with dark-brown eyes and long, spiky purple hair that was kept tied in a ponytail at the back of his head. He was wearing a salmon-colored shirt with a long collar, light-brown pants, a light-blue apron, and a cap that matched the color of his pants. His soft, caring expression would easily indicate to even the least-brightest people that he was a person they could easily trust.

However, the boy walking beside him was a different story. Like his companion, he had dark-brown eyes and long, spiky purple hair, though he didn't keep it tied in a ponytail, instead just letting it fall down his forehead and nearly obscure his eyes, casting them in shadow. He was wearing a long-sleeved dark-purple sweater with a dark-red zipper, pocket, and cuffs; a black undershirt; light-purple jeans; and purple-and-dark-red-striped running shoes. With the dark expression and piercing eyes, this boy would definitely be viewed upon by others as an untrustworthy person. Many would even be surprised to know that these two people were actually brothers.

"Well, here we are," announced the taller boy. "Lumiose City. Can't believe I'm actually here..."

"You don't have to say that all the time, you know," the younger boy replied bitterly. "This is the fifth time you said that, since our plane landed."

His companion shrugged. "It's a brand-new place! This calls for a brand-new adventure. You need to learn to be more adventurous, Paul!"

Paul scoffed. "I do not need to be adventurous, Reggie," he said sleekly. "All I'm concerned about is participating in the Pokémon World Tournament and getting as far as the World Tournament." He clenched his fist, to the point where it trembled. "Maybe even getting the Pokémon World Trophy..."

"Typical Paul," remarked Reggie, smiling as he shrugged. "Always aiming for the competition instead of just taking the advantage to rest and relax."

"Anyone who spends this spare time _resting and relaxing_ will not get far in the Pokémon World Tournament. That's just the natural order of things, Reggie." Paul's lips curved into a devious smirk. "Fortunately for me, I am _always_ prepared. Once I come out on top of everyone else, I am pretty sure you will retract your statement."

"Oh, I look _forward_ to it." However, Reggie rolled his eyes, his face wearing a smirk of his own.

"Now," Paul said, looking around, "where were we?... Ah..."

He approached a nearby stand, which proudly displayed the cover pages for several tourist brochures. As soon as he reached it, Paul realized that someone had been walking beside him. This new person was a Trainer who appeared to be around his age, if not slightly younger. He had a composed posture, dirty-blond hair, and pale-gray eyes that pierced deeply into Paul's soul in the same way his eyes would do to other people. He was also wearing an orange jacket, a charcoal-gray hoodie under it, a light-purple undershirt, silver cargo pants, and dark-blue-and-white sneakers. Both Trainers stared each other down intimidatingly.

"Hello..." the Trainer greeted cautiously.

"Hello yourself," replied Paul callously before staring at the brochures. He briefly eyed the brochures promoting the city's restaurants and other tourist attractions with distaste before grabbing the brochure promoting Lumiose City. Flipping through the pages, the purple-haired Trainer finally settled on the city map, which he surveyed closely. At the corner of his eye, he noticed the same Trainer grabbing the same brochure without giving a second thought about the others.

"Hey, Paul!" Reggie called. "What're you looking for?"

"The battlefield closest to here," replied Paul as he closed the brochure and approached his older brother. "It's apparently in the eastern part of the city."

"You wanna get over there right now and start training?"

Paul smirked again. "I can think of nothing better."

"Well, then-" Reggie took the suitcase Paul had previously been dragging. "-I'll just go set us up at the hotel. You know the address, right?"

"Memorized it a thousand times. I will meet you there at the end of the day, Reggie."

"Alright." Paul turned around and began to walk out of the airport, but not before he heard his brother call out to him. "I still think you desperately need some R&amp;R!"

"Yeah, yeah..." he replied indifferently as he left the airport.

Paul never noticed the Trainer with the dirty-blond hair following him.

* * *

**Chapter 3: A Heroic Union**

* * *

**The battlefield  
Eastern Lumiose City**

"I see you three still haven't changed!" snapped Misty as she, Ash, and the others stared up at Team Rocket in their hot-air balloon.

"You give Pikachu back right now!" May hollered.

"Or else!" roared Dawn.

"Well," sneered Jessie malevolently, "we'd love to stay and do some reminiscing and catching up, but as much as we'd love to-" She procured a remote and pressed a button, causing rockets to appear on the sides of the basket of Team Rocket's hot-air balloon. "-we sadly cannot. HAHAHAHAHA!"

The buttons activated themselves, causing the balloon to race away.

"TOODLES!" called Team Rocket.

**"PIKACHU!"** Ash screeched loudly as he burst into a run after the balloon.

**"PIKAPI!"** Pikachu called in desperation as the balloon grew farther.

"Oh no, Pikachu!" Bonnie cried as she began running after Ash.

"Dedenne!" added the Antenna Pokémon.

"Come on, everyone!" Brock shouted, addressing everyone else. "We've gotta get Team Rocket before they get away!"

"We're right with you!" replied Clemont, deciding to temporarily shrug off the question as to how all these strangers knew about Team Rocket.

"Yeah!" Serena added, nodding.

The entire group began sprinting after Ash and Bonnie, leaving the battlegrounds and continuing the pursuit in the nearby woods. As soon as they reached the woods, however, Serena noticed that Hilbert and Tepig were joining them and decided to stop in front of them as the others went on ahead.

"S-Serena, what're you doing?!" exclaimed Hilbert, surprised.

"You can't come with us, Hilbert!" Serena replied, shaking her head.

"W-Why?! We wanna help get Pikachu back!"

"Tepig TEPIG!" added Tepig in agreement.

"Yeah, but you guys don't have proper training yet, as Trainer and Pokémon. Who knows what tricks Team Rocket has up their sleeves? If either of you get hurt, then Ash would never forgive himself, and truthfully, neither would I! And besides, the BW Agency still needs its president and mascot." She patted Hilbert's shoulder with consolation. "I'm sorry, but you can't help us. You're not ready." She began running after the others. "Once this is all done, we'll begin training! I promise!"

"Y-You sure?..." Hilbert called.

"Of course! We've beaten Team Rocket many times before! I don't expect this outcome to be any different! Just stay at the battlefield and we'll come back for you!"

As soon as the honey-haired Trainer went out of sight, Hilbert grunted angrily and kicked at the ground, sending up a cloud of dust.

"Arceus-damn it!" he snapped.

"TEPIG!" squealed Tepig angrily, snorting out flames in distress.

Then, Hilbert sighed and sat down on the ground beside the Fire Pig Pokémon, who became solemn. He began stroking its head.

"I know, I wanna help them too," he said.

"Tepig..."

Then, after a few seconds, Hilbert stood up defiantly. "No! I'm not just gonna sit here like a Ducklett! I've gotta help them somehow! _We've_ gotta help them!"

"TEPIG!" roared Tepig in agreement.

"What do ya say, buddy?! Let's go help Ash get his Pikachu back from those stinking crooks!"

"Te-PIG!"

Tepig hopped into Hilbert's arms, and the BW Agency President sprinted further into the woods, in the direction where Serena disappeared, leaving a flurry of autumn leaves in his wake. However, he never noticed the two Trainers who were conveniently eavesdropping on the conversation and were now following him...

* * *

**Jaune Plaza  
In the skies of Lumiose City**

"I can't believe we have all the twerps from past and present in one place!" Jessie snarled. "This is _three times_ worse than the usual snatch-Pikachu-and-run plan!"

"Actually, I noticed that the Dragon Twerpette and her Axew weren't among the group," remarked James. "So was the Sketching Twerp."

"Who cares?!" snapped Meowth as he held up a plastic cage containing Pikachu. "We gotta geddaway with Pikachu before da twoips ruin our plans again!"

"PIKA-**CHUUUUU!**" roared the Mouse Pokémon as he tried shocking the cage with a Thunderbolt attack, but the electricity only wound up coursing through the cage's interior without affecting anything else. This failed attempt drew malevolent giggles from the Team Rocket trio.

"Oh, silly Pikachu," Jessie said. "You should've known by now that we're one step ahead of your shocking tricks."

"Wobbuffet!" added Wobbuffet as it saluted.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu snarled angrily. "Pika-pikachu!"

"Uh...translation, Meowth?" asked James, looking at the Scratch Cat Pokémon.

"Pikachu said dat da main twoip will beat us," Meowth replied.

"Pika!"

"As usual."

"Oh, boo hoo!" Jessie exclaimed in mock-distress, then she laughed heartily. "Too bad, Pikachu! Your twerpy little friend and his other friends won't save you now! We finally have you under our wing, and we will use you and your astounding Electric powers for our own evil needs! Now, first thing's first..."

The magenta-haired Team Rocket grunt opened up a nearby black toolbox and began reaching inside it for unknown items. Pikachu began to cower fearfully inside the plastic cage. What exactly was Jessie reaching for? A device that would absorb and channel all of his electricity? A contraption that would hypnotize it into swearing its allegiance with them? An invention that would implant some chip of mass destruction inside its body? Either way, there was no doubt it was frightening...

Suddenly, a series of clanking noises were heard. Pikachu found himself staring at an array of communication devices that were lying in front of him.

"Help us recharge these," James ordered.

"Pika?" Pikachu looked up at the trio curiously.

"Are you deaf or something?" snapped Jessie. "Help. Us. Recharge. Those. Devices."

"Pikachu, pika-pika chu-pi pika-pika pi-chu kachu? Pi-chu pikachu."

"Meowth?..." asked a confused James.

Meowth explained, "Pikachu asked if we took it just ta have it recharge dose tings. Den it said it was a new low fa us."

"A new low?" Jessie demanded, her rage growing. "A new low?! A NEW LOW?!" She grabbed the plastic cage and stared into the window that gave her a good look of Pikachu, who was staring back at her defiantly, almost mockingly. "We were about to receive a grand, glorious mission that involves world subjugation and domination like none other, but those things ran out of juice on us and now we need energy to get them back online so we can hear out this mission! So do as we say, Pikachu!"

"Pika-chu chu-pika kachu-pika."

"It said we shoulda just bought some batteries," clarified Meowth.

"Well, we're low on money right now, ya little rat!" screeched Jessie, startling her comrades, but causing Pikachu to smirk. "You do as we say NOW!"

"Chu-pi pika pikachu ka-pika kachu pi-pika. Pika-pika chu-pi pikachu pika-pi pika-kachu pikachu-pi pi-pi."

"It said we hafta get Pikachu out of da cage since it can't use its electricity inside da plastic," Meowth said.

"No doubt it's trying to trick us into letting it out so it can escape!" snarled Jessie. "Nice try, Pikachu!"

"Actually, Jess," interjected James as he held a finger up in realization, "Pikachu's absolutely right. Plastic cannot conduct electricity. And remember, we decided not to put holes or anything in the cage out of the expectation that they give Pikachu the leeway to shock us with a Thunderbolt as usual."

"What?..."

"In other words, the only way we will be able to ever get our communication devices recharged is if we do let Pikachu out. But hey!" James stood up and stretched his arms out. "We are high in the sky! If Pikachu tries to attack us, it'll blow up our balloon, and at such a height, none of us would survive the fall! Even if it just tries to escape us, there's still the fact that it has to hop off the balloon!" He sneered into the cage. "What do ya think NOW, Pikachu?!"

Pikachu's smirk disappeared. He had been planning on attacking Team Rocket after fooling them into letting him out, but he didn't take into account the height of the hot-air balloon. The only thing he could hope for now is if his Pikapi sent out a Flying-type Pokémon to help him dispatch these crooks...

"Fletchinder!" a familiar voice chirped.

The smirk returned on Pikachu's face, just as the faces of Team Rocket paled. Fletchinder came into view of all four, chirping angrily at the villainous trio.

"Fletchinder!" chirped the Ember Pokémon again.

"AGH!" James and Meowth cried simultaneously.

"Did-Did we have a-anything pre-prepared for a F-Flying-type P-Pokémon?" asked Jessie fearfully.

"N-_No_..." James stuttered in response as he shook his head.

"Aw, nuts..." Meowth said, smacking his forehead with his paw.

"Wobbuffet!" exclaimed the Patient Pokémon.

Seconds later, Fletchinder flew forward, its beak glowing white. Before Team Rocket could act, the plastic cage containing Pikachu was torn open, and with the Mouse Pokémon hopped onto the side of the balloon basket, its red cheeks sparkling with electricity. Jessie and Meowth cried out in distress, while James waved his hands.

"Now, now, Pikachu," the blue-haired man said frantically, his smile wracked with comical nervousness, "you _do_ remember what I said about the height of our hot-air balloon from the ground, do you?" Pikachu's cheeks immediately stopped sparkling as soon as he heard that comment. "That's right, Pikachu. I knew you'd be smart."

"Pika," replied Pikachu, nodding. "Pika-pika chu-pika pika-chu-chu pika pi-ka PIKA!"

James blinked in confusion. "Translation, Meowth?"

"Well," Meowth said, "Pikachu said dat you may be right, James, but we weyn't countin' on Fletchinder- ACK!"

Fletchinder had swooped across the balloon basket and startled Team Rocket, giving Pikachu enough time to hop onto his friend's back. Jessie screamed in outrage.

"NO!" she roared. "NOT **AGAIN**!"

"And here comes the attack..." predicted James. Fletchinder then swooped towards the balloon, beak glowing. "And the balloon being blown out..." The beak pierced the balloon, causing a loud popping noise, followed by the sound of a great rush of air being blown. "And us crash-landing on the ground..."

Jessie and Meowth screamed at the top of their lungs as the hot-air balloon crash-landed in the middle of Jaune Plaza. Fortunately, no one was hurt by the crash, but pedestrians who were nearby began running away from the scene. With pained groans, Team Rocket stumbled out of the wreckage of their balloon.

"Great," Jessie snarled. "Just _great_."

"Wobbuffet..." Wobbuffet groaned.

"What's next, James?" asked Meowth.

"The twerps confronting us," replied James, pointing off in a certain direction. There, the 'twerps' were indeed running towards the trio as fast as they could.

"PIKACHU!" Ash cried happily as Fletchinder swooped down towards him, Pikachu in tow.

"PIKAPI!" Pikachu exclaimed as he hopped off Fletchinder's back and into his Trainer's arms.

"Oh, are you okay, buddy?"

"Pikachu."

"Alright." A determined look then flooded Ash's face as Pikachu climbed onto his shoulder. "Time to take care of these goons."

"You got that right, Ash," replied Brock as he and the others joined the raven-haired Trainer's sides.

"Get ready to go down, Team Rocket!" Max exclaimed.

"No, YOU get ready to go down, twerp!" Jessie snarled, pulling out a Poké Ball and throwing it. "Go, Pumpkaboo!"

"You too, Inkay!" cried James as he threw his own Poké Ball.

Pumpkaboo and Inkay emerged from their Poké Balls and growled menacingly at the group. They were joined by Wobbuffet, who stood in the middle and saluted.

"So, Ash," Misty said, winking at him, "shall we all work together to give Team Rocket a little lesson?"

"Yeah!" added May, lightly punching his shoulder. "It'll be just like the good ol' times!"

"What do you say?" Dawn asked, leaning towards him slightly.

Ash smiled and looked back at Team Rocket. "You betcha," he replied. "Let's do this together, everyone! Pikachu, Fletchinder!"

"PIKA!" Pikachu exclaimed, nodding.

"Fletchinder!" chirped Fletchinder as it circled overhead.

Meanwhile, everyone else (except for Bonnie, of course) pulled out their Poké Balls.

"Braixen, go!" Serena cried.

"Come on out, Luxray!" called Clemont.

"Go, Staryu!" Misty exclaimed.

"Croagunk, we need you!" shouted Brock.

"Glaceon, take the stage!" May said.

"Rock 'em, Gallade!" roared Max.

"Piplup, spotlight!" Dawn shouted.

"Glameow, ready? Go!" exclaimed Zoey.

"Pansage, it's battling time!" Cilan called.

"Let's go, Rhyperior!" shouted Forrest.

"Empoleon, get those crooks!" yelled Barry.

"You too, Empoleon!" roared Kenny.

"Pansear/Panpour, battling time!" Chili and Cress shouted simultaneously.

The Pokémon all emerged from their Poké Balls, with the exception of Piplup, who merely hopped out of Dawn's arms. Team Rocket's faces all paled once again.

"Yeah, that's right!" exclaimed Bonnie, smiling triumphantly. "You're outnumbered, Team Rocket! How're you gonna beat us now, huh? You should just give up!"

"Give up we shall not!" James snarled. "Inkay, use Psybeam!"

"Rhyperior, counter with Rock Wrecker!" commanded Forrest.

Forrest's Rhyperior immediately formed a large gray rock in its hand and threw it at the incoming Psybeam. Both moves collided, resulting in a massive explosion and a billowing cloud of dark smoke that swept across Team Rocket's side of the battlefield. They all yelled out and shielded their eyes from the smoke.

"Use Water Gun while they're distracted, Staryu!" Misty ordered, pointing at the cloud of smoke.

"You use Bubble Beam on them as well, Piplup!" shouted Dawn.

Staryu and Piplup fired the Water-type attacks, which delved into the smoke and began bombarding hitting Team Rocket.

"OW, OW, OW!" Jessie shrieked as she was being hit by the Bubble Beam. However, James's yells were muffled by the Water Gun, which knocked him backward.

"DAT'S IT!" Meowth roared. "LOOKS LIKE I'M GONNA HAFTA HANDLE DIS MYSELF!" He leaped out of the smoke, his claws ready. "FURY SW-"

"Use Psycho Cut, Gallade!" Max ordered suddenly. Gallade fired the attack from his arms at Meowth, forcing the Scratch Cat Pokémon to dodge the rings of energy.

"What?!" Meowth landed on the ground and stared down Max. "Well, looks like da mini-twoip grew talla, now did he?!"

"This _mini-twerp_ didn't just grow taller, Meowth," replied Max. "He's got a few new tricks up his sleeve! Gallade, use-"

"GLACEON, USE SHADOW BALL!" May interrupted suddenly, stepping in front of her younger brother and pointing at Meowth.

"WHAT?!" shrieked Meowth in fear. "NO, NO-"

The Fresh Snow Pokémon leaped in front of him and fired the attack, which struck him squarely in the chest before he could react. The subsequent explosion knocked him backward into Inkay, which caused both to collapse painfully on the ground. James gasped in horror upon witnessing this.

"Inkay, my darling!" he squealed in agony.

"Oh, my netha' regions..." moaned Meowth softly as he struggled to get up.

"Stupid twerps!" snapped Jessie. "Pumpkaboo! Use Dark Pulse!"

Pumpkaboo nodded and fired the attack at Glaceon. However, a glint briefly flashed in May's eyes.

"Dodge, Glaceon!" she ordered. "Then use Ice Shard!"

A smirking Glaceon dodged the Dark Pulse attack with a great amount of ease and then fired multiple shards of ice at Pumpkaboo's direction. Completely surprised by this unexpected outcome, the Pumpkin Pokémon tried to dodge it, but failed and its entire body was bombarded by the shards. Jessie gasped in absolute terror.

"Pumpkaboo!" the magenta-haired grunt squeaked. "No..."

"HA!" May exclaimed, crossing her arms as she looked smug. "What're you gonna do _now_, Team Rocket?"

"HEY!" snapped Max, staring at his sister. "That was Gallade's move, not yours!"

The Top Coordinator looked down at her brother. "I took care of it, didn't I?"

"You thought wrong!" cried James. "Inkay, use Foul Play!"

However, before Inkay can carry out the attack, Brock pointed at the Revolving Pokémon.

"Croagunk, use Poison Jab!" he cried. Croagunk immediately thrust his glowing paw into Inkay, knocking it up in the air and back down to the ground, unconscious.

"INKAY!" James shrieked.

"That's it!" Jessie growled, although her voice was shaking, and her lip was quivering. "I-I've HAD it with ya tw-_twerps_! W-Wobbuffet! You're up!"

"WOBBUFFET!" Wobbuffet shouted, saluting.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded.

"PIKA-**CHUUUUU!**" cried Pikachu as he fired the attack.

"Counter with Mirror Coat, Wobbuffet!" snarled Jessie angrily.

"Wobb!" Wobbuffet's body began to glow white. As soon as Pikachu's Thunderbolt hit it, the electricity coursed backward towards the Mouse Pokémon, amplified.

"Dodge, Pikachu!" Ash shouted. The Mouse Pokémon nodded and immediately dodged the deflected Thunderbolt.

"Empoleon, use Hydro Cannon!" Barry commanded.

"You too, Empoleon!" ordered Kenny.

Both Emperor Pokémon fired the powerful blasts of water from their beaks, blasts of which barreled towards Wobbuffet. Unfortunately, the Patient Pokémon continued to use its Mirror Coat, which successfully deflected the Hydro Cannons away from itself and Team Rocket, sending them back towards the two Empoleon. Before they could dodge the attacks, however, they were too late: the Empoleon were thrown backward by the amplified force of their own Hydro Cannons.

"NO, EMPOLEON!" screamed Barry and Kenny simultaneously.

"Pumpkaboo, use Shadow Ball!" Jessie ordered, followed by the Pumpkin Pokémon firing a Shadow Ball at the heroes.

"Pansage, counter with Bullet Seed!" Cilan shouted, pointing at the Shadow Ball. The Grass Monkey Pokémon fired the attack, extinguishing said Shadow Ball. "Chili!"

"Gotcha!" replied the red-haired Striaton Gym Leader. "Pansear, use Fire Punch now!"

The High Temp Pokémon charged towards Jessie's Pumpkaboo, its clenched fist engulfed in raging flames. Before Pumpkaboo can move away from Pansear, the latter slammed its fist into Pumpkaboo's body, scorching it and critically wounding it. With a pained cry, the Pumpkin Pokémon tried to move away as it was set ablaze.

"PUMPKABOO!" screeched Jessie.

"And now," Cress said calmly, "we shall finish it with a little Water Gun!"

Panpour leaped into the air and fired a stream of water at Pumpkaboo. It managed to hit the Pumpkin Pokémon, extinguishing the flames. Having already suffered an extreme amount of severe injuries from Pansear's Fire Punch, Pumpkaboo slowly lost consciousness as it collapsed to the ground with a moan. It conveniently landed on top of Wobbuffet before the Patient Pokémon could avoid it. Seeing her Pokémon out of the count, Jessie's face began to turn florid in frustration.

"This ain't good," Meowth snarled as he recovered. "This ain't good at all!"

"Tell me about it," replied James as he tended to the fallen Inkay. "And here comes the inevitable blastoff..."

However, a crafty smirk appeared on the Scratch Cat Pokémon's face. "Time to enact Plan B..."

"There's a Plan B?" When his comrade looked at him with a deadpan expression, James immediately remembered. "Oh yeah, that's right! Plan B!"

Jessie, James, and Meowth immediately took their fallen comrades and fled into the wreckage of their hot-air balloon. Bonnie crossed her arms angrily.

"They're running away?!" she cried. "Scaredy-Glameows!"

"Dedenne!" added the Antenna Pokémon, equally outraged.

"Knowing Team Rocket," Ash replied, "they have one last trick up their sleeve..."

Indeed, the hot-air balloon suddenly started to inflate on its own, growing larger and larger to the point of excess. Then, the fabric exploded into shreds, revealing an unknown robotic mass that was still growing in size. The Trainers noticed that metallic panels were unfolding out of each other, essentially making up a final shape. As the mass continued to grow and begin to shape itself into a determinable robot, the group was forced to flee as the robot began to attack already with lasers.

"_**THAT'S**_ TEAM ROCKET'S PLAN B?!" shouted Misty over the creaking of metal.

"CERTAINLY NOT TEAM ROCKET'S USUAL STYLE!" replied Brock as he shielded Forrest from any potential harm.

"HA HA HA HA HA!" Jessie cackled, her voice being heard from an intercom on the robot as it finished forming itself. "NOW YOU TWERPS WILL PAY **DEARLY**!"

"NOW WE WILL GET PIKACHU AND USE IT TO RECHARGE OUR COMMUNICATION DEVICES IN NO TIME!" proclaimed James.

"AND TEAM ROCKET WILL BE DA WISER!" Meowth hollered.

However, everyone was staring up at Team Rocket's newest creation with unsatisfied expressions. Pikachu had slapped his forehead in disbelief.

"All of this, just to recharge your _phones_?" asked Clemont, crossing his arms.

"That's a new low, Team Rocket," Misty said, sighing. "Even for you guys."

"A NEW **LOW**?" Jessie demanded, her rage growing, with the volume of her voice amplified greatly by the robot's advanced intercom. "**A NEW LOW**?! _**A NEW LOW**_?! WE WERE ABOUT TO RECEIVE A GRAND, GLORIOUS MISSION THAT INVOLVES WORLD SUBJUGATION AND DOMINATION LIKE NONE OTHER, BUT THOSE **STINKING** THINGS RAN OUT OF JUICE ON US AND NOW WE NEED ENERGY TO GET THEM BACK ONLINE SO WE CAN HEAR OUT THIS MISSION!"

"You should've just bought some batteries," Max replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

"WELL, WE'RE LOW ON MONEY RIGHT NOW, YA LITTLE TWERP!" screeched Jessie, startling her comrades, but causing the heroes to smirk.

"Wait a minute," James said, putting a finger on his chin. "I just remembered something... The last of our money..."

"What about da last of da money, James?" asked Meowth.

"The last of our money, which could've been spent on batteries for our devices, was instead spent for this newest mecha..."

Jessie immediately caught on. "So...we wasted our money on _this_ robot when we could've used it on more useful things..."

"It appears so."

"GAH, HOW COULD THIS **HAPPEN**?!"

"Because you'll always be desperate wannabe criminals who'll hopelessly pine for Pikachu," Misty replied, having overheard their conversation along with the others.

"WE DIDN'T ASK FOR **YOUR** INPUT, WATER-TWERPETTE!" screeched Jessie, turning back to the intercom. "LET'S CRUSH THESE TWERPS AND GET PIKACHU, GUYS!"

"Right 'atcha," Meowth replied, preparing to press a button. "Time for da-"

"TEPIG, USE EMBER!" a voice shouted.

A shower of embers struck the robot's left foot, but it did nothing to the metal beyond leaving a few scratches. The robot's head turned towards the source...

"HILBERT?!" Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie exclaimed in surprise.

The BW Agency President was staring up at the robot with Tepig. Both were trying their best to stand their ground.

"You leave Ash and his friends alone!" Hilbert shouted.

"Like we'll listen to you, frat boy," replied James mockingly.

"Cute Tepig you've got there," Jessie said as she eyed the Fire Pig Pokémon through the computer screens. "Perhaps we'll take it for ourselves, along with Pikachu..."

"NO!" Hilbert roared, shocked.

"YES!" Meowth replied, preparing to press another button. "It's-"

However, the Scratch Cat Pokémon was cut off by a crashing noise. Outside, Ash and the others watched as a massive beam of lighting cut through the robot cleanly from the right side, exerting such force that it nearly fell over. This was followed by three greenish-blue spheres fired from the left, which bombarded the robot while it tried to recover from the first attack. Like the first attack, the robot was nearly knocked over by the force of the successive hits.

"What in Arceus's name?!" exclaimed James.

"Who in the world is DOING that?!" Jessie snapped.

"I can't detect da attacker on da screens!" Meowth shouted in alarm.

"WHAT?!" Jessie and James replied simultaneously.

Outside, Ash and the others were equally as confused by the attacks that came out of the blue.

"Who fired those attacks?" Ash asked as he looked around.

"I don't know," replied Clemont, "but whoever is doing this is obviously giving Team Rocket a hard time."

"Electivire," a familiar voice said calmly, "use Thunder again. Double time."

"More Energy Balls, Serperior," a second familiar voice added.

"Was that-?" began Brock, recognizing one of the voices, but he was cut off as a second Thunder appeared, striking Team Rocket's mecha.

**"AAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!"** screeched Team Rocket as they were shocked by the excessively powerful electricity.

Then, a barrage of Energy Balls appeared and bombarded the robot relentlessly. Within seconds, the robot was engulfed in a massive explosion that blew Ash and the others backward with its powerful force. They could see three familiar dots flying to the sky from the gargantuan cloud of smoke and flame, dust trailing behind them.

* * *

"That was too much electricity than we asked for..." groaned Jessie.

"Definitely too much..." James replied, nodding his head weakly in agreement.

"Well," said Meowth, chuckling as he smiled slightly, "at least our communication devices were recharged..." He showed his comrades their walkie-talkies, which were sparking volts of electricity, but nonetheless active. "Now we can just contact da boss and learn our new mission from 'im... Win-win..."

"Yeah, but for now," James said, crossing his arms and sighing sadly, "we're blasting off again."

"Wobbuffet!" the Patient Pokémon added, saluting.

"INEVITABLY!" all of Team Rocket chorused as they went out of sight, followed by that all-too-familiar twinkle.

* * *

"Well, there goes Team Rocket," said Misty, crossing her arms triumphantly. "Can't say I didn't see that coming."

"Serves 'em right!" Bonnie exclaimed. "Trying to steal Pikachu like that!"

However, Ash, Serena, and Clemont were staring at Hilbert, who was rejoining the group with Tepig.

"Hilbert!" cried Serena. "I told you to stay at the battlefield and wait for us!"

"I couldn't just stand by and let you guys endanger yourselves!" replied Hilbert. "You guys could've been hurt! Maybe if I helped-"

"We've handled Team Rocket many times before, Hilbert," Clemont interrupted. "You didn't. Look at how Tepig could barely _scratch_ that thing with Ember!"

"That's why I said you need proper training first!" added Serena.

"Whoa, guys, guys, guys!" Ash exclaimed as he stepped in front of Hilbert defensively. "Hold on! Hilbert tried his best to help us, and he didn't get hurt in the process. That's all that matters." He turned towards the president, smiling. "They're right, Hilbert; you need proper training first if you wanna go up against an enemy."

"Yeah..." Hilbert replied, looking down at the ground shyly. "Sorry, Ash..."

"But still, thank you for your help."

The president looked back up at his friend, blushing in admiration. "R-_Really_?..."

Ash smiled back. "Of course! You just proved to me that you're a great friend. You're willing to help us despite the circumstances! And I'm glad to call you a friend."

"Pika pika!" added Pikachu.

"A friend..." Hilbert looked down at Tepig, who smiled back at him, equally satisfied. Then, he looked back up at Ash. "Thanks, Ash. Of course I'm your friend! You've helped me out in a time of need, without any reluctance! You saw potential in me as a Trainer! ...No one else has ever done that for me..."

"Well, it figures Ash would wanna help you out on a crisis," replied Misty. "That _is_ typical of Ash, after all."

"Yeah," Ash said, nodding. Then, his eyes widened as he remembered something. "Wait a minute!"

"What, Ash?" Brock asked.

"Who exactly was the one who fired that Thunder and Energy Ball?"

"That would be _us_," a voice replied sleekly.

Everyone turned around and spotted two Trainers approaching the group calmly. Ash recognized both of them at once.

"_Trip_?" he asked. "_Paul_?"

"In the flesh, Ketchum," replied Paul as he smirked. His Electivire's antennas began to spark with electricity.

* * *

**The surrounding forests  
Near Lumiose City**

"Ohhhhh... Man, what _hit_ me?..."

"A Thunderbolt, obviously..."

"What're you talking about, James?! That was no Pikachu-style Thunderbolt! That was WAY too powerful, even for Pikachu!"

Jessie stood up from the brush she landed on, dusting her clothes of the dirt and leaves. Lying on a large puddle of mud was James, who was completely brown from being engulfed in the soft earth. Hanging from the sturdy branch of a tree was Meowth, who was slowly inching his head up as he stared at his comrades.

"Even for Pikachu, ya say?..." Meowth asked. "That's quite an estimate, Jessie..."

"It completely fried our robot!" snapped Jessie in response. "That's saying something!"

"Yeah," James replied as he stood up from the mud, "the robot we wasted ALL our money on..."

"Yeah, well, don't blame me for it. If I can recall, it was _you_ who overruled me and Meowth!"

The blue-haired grunt slouched slightly. "I recall it being the other way _around_..."

Jessie blinked, then looked at Meowth. Nervously, the Scratch Cat Pokémon nodded in response. However, before the magenta-haired woman could lose her cool...

"No matter what," a familiar female voice said, "you three will always be the same hopeless losers to us."

"Agreed," a male voice replied, also sounding familiar.

Jessie and James's eyes widened in horror as they recognized the speakers.

"No," Jessie moaned. "No, no, no."

"It can't be..." whined James.

Suddenly, there was a brief flash of light, and then, a billowing cloud of yellowish-green, foul-smelling smoke began to fill the entire area. Jessie, James, and Meowth all covered their faces to protect themselves from the smoke. As they did, the familiar voices spoke again, this time reciting a motto they knew all too well.

"A shrieking whine! A blast from the past!" the female voice said.

"Spinning like a Gyro Ball and moving fast!" recited the male voice.

"To the moon..."

"...And beyond..."

"What a blast!" both voices shouted.

The smoke began to clear up, and Jessie and James gritted their teeth as they saw the two people standing in front of them, people they hoped they'd see again. One was a woman around Jessie's age, with a slim figure, purple eyes, and golden hair. The other was a man around James's age, with light-green hair and brown eyes.

"Administering justice with lightning speed!" the woman exclaimed.

"Bashing the bad guys, should we feel the need," said the man.

"So, here's a newsflash from across the wire..."

"The real Team Rocket is now on fire!"

The woman winked. "Cassidy!"

The man pointed to himself proudly. "And it's Butch!"

A Raticate suddenly appeared beside the woman, its front teeth flashing menacingly. "Rrrrraticate!" it snarled.

A Shuckle also appeared, standing beside the man. "Shuck-uckle!" it let out.

"Teaching the losers a thing or two..." Cassidy continued.

"The true Team Rocket..." continued Butch.

"Us! Not you!" both proclaimed.

"Says the people who rip off our motto!" Jessie snarled nastily.

"At least we put some creativity into _our_ mottos!" added James, his fist clenched.

"And at least _we_ know how to get on the boss's good side," Butch replied, chuckling.

"Yeah, well for your information, _Biff_, the boss has put his faith on me and my comrades for a year now."

A vein appeared in Butch's forehead as his eyes sprung alive with a furious rage.

**"IT'S BUTCH, I TELL YOU, _BUTCH_!"** he screeched, his voice almost cracking. **"NOT BIFF, FOR ARCEUS'S SAKE!"**

"Besides," Cassidy said, her arms crossed, "it was a bit of a fluke that the boss put his trust on you after so long. If we can recall, you three barely did anything when Team Galactic went down the drain two years ago." A smirk appeared on her face. "It was the work of that kid you keep following around. Him and his Pikachu."

"We had some input on dat too, ya know!" Meowth snapped, looking offended.

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, really!" growled Jessie. Then, she smirked deviously as well. "And look at you, Cassidy, making yourself appear oh-so-elegant and superior and triumphant as usual. Well, guess what, lil' missy?" The magenta-haired grunt leaned forward slightly. "I have not heard the boss say anything about _you_ and _your_ comrades for such a while. It's always been _me_ and _my_ comrades who have been getting all the good missions and the boss's trust. It seems like _you_ fell out of his _favor_..."

"Don't you dare say that, ya little twit!" exclaimed Cassidy. "Of course the boss still puts his favor in me, Butch, and our Pokémon!"

"Oh, really?" Jessie bared her teeth in a mocking smile. "Then tell me, Cassidy, why are you here? You couldn't have possibly been sent here to Kalos on a mission to steal Team Rocket some powerful, valuable, extremely rare Pokémon." She shrugged in mock-curiosity. "Otherwise, you two wouldn't be wasting your oh-so-precious time dumping yourselves on us. No, you wouldn't do that. Not on the boss's usual deadlines. Which makes me believe the boss sent you and Bill-"

**"IT'S NOT BILL, IT'S _BUTCH_!"**

"-Halfway across the globe to get me and my comrades, likely for that mission he was trying to contact us about before our devices went out." Jessie's smirk widened as James and Meowth began to understand what her point was. "In other words, you guys are the boss's Growlithe, getting him the bone he threw!"

"You DARE compare us to stinkin' little Growlithe?!" Cassidy and Butch snarled simultaneously.

"Yes, yes I am," replied Jessie.

"Whatcha tink 'bout us _now_, ya wiseguys?!" Meowth exclaimed triumphantly.

"Wobbuffet!" exclaimed Wobbuffet as it popped out of its Poké Ball.

Cassidy's eyelid twitched, while Butch sighed in defeat.

"Yes," replied the green-haired grunt, "the boss sent us to get you three bozos."

Then, Cassidy snarled, "But don't you think we didn't do this out of our own volition! We accepted the mission with what little pride we had left!"

"What pride?" asked Jessie, giggling mockingly.

"We're dead serious! Team Rocket is in serious trouble right now, and the boss wants all hands on deck! ESPECIALLY your hands!"

Jessie, James, and Meowth immediately came to full attention.

"Team Rocket is in trouble?" they asked at once.

"Wobbuffet?!" exclaimed Wobbuffet.

* * *

**Restaurant Le Wow  
Hibernal Avenue  
Lumiose City, Kalos**

"I can't believe it's been a while since I last saw you guys!" exclaimed Ash as he ate out of a plate.

Currently, he and all of the others were sitting at an oblong table inside Restaurant Le Wow. After they helped Officer Jenny clear up Jaune Plaza of all the destruction from Team Rocket's mecha, they decided to catch up over at the restaurant (which they managed to get into with Hilbert's help) since they were initially unable to do so because of Team Rocket's untimely intervention. Ash spent a few minutes introducing Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie to the group, and while the three were greeted rather positively from most of the others, one could easily see the tension that seemed to form between Serena, Misty, May, and Dawn.

"Yeah, it's been a _long_ while, Ash," Misty replied as she drank out of her cup.

"So, what're you all doing here?"

"What else, Ash, but the PWT?" replied Cilan. "I'm here to support Chili and Cress."

"Oh yeah, I remembered! Your brothers are still the Striaton Gym Leaders!"

"That's right, Ash," said Cress, waving his fork in emphasis.

"Typical Ketchum," Paul piped bitterly, though there was a friendly smile on his face. "Of course we're all here for the PWT."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world!" exclaimed Barry happily.

"I'm also here to support my brother," Brock piped, patting Forrest's back. "Forrest became the Pewter Gym Leader a couple of years back."

"Wow, that's awesome!" exclaimed Bonnie. She then looked up at Clemont. "Look at how young Forrest is! Does this mean I can become a Gym Leader?"

"I think you're a little too young for that, Bonnie," Clemont replied as he played around with his spaghetti. "And I don't think Dad will like that..."

Bonnie crossed her arms and began to pout. "Aw, phooey!"

Watching the exchange between brother and sister, May smiled widely. Her face was as red as a rose as she looked at Bonnie.

"Awww, Bonnie, you're so cute!" she cried, holding her face in her hands in adoration. "I think you'll a perfect Gym Leader, regardless of age!"

"Really?" Bonnie's eyes began to shimmer in wonder and excitement. "Thank you!"

Beside May, however, Max scoffed and crossed his arms. The volume of his scoff was loud enough to attract his older sister's attention.

"And what exactly is so funny?!" snapped the Top Coordinator.

"You're very supportive of _her_," replied Max, "but you never showed the same kind of love to me. I assume it's because she's a _girl_-"

"HEY!" Bonnie shouted, staring at Max angrily. "That's mean!"

"Dedenne!" added the Antenna Pokémon.

"Bonnie, please be quiet!" whispered Clemont urgently. "We're in a restaurant, you know!"

The little girl crossed her arms and pouted again. Not wanting the reunion to be railroaded into an argument, Ash decided to change the subject.

"So," he said, "how are you guys all doing? What have you all been up to since I last saw you?"

The following couple of hours were spent with Ash and the others exchanging stories and learning about each other's lives prior to the announcement of the PWT.

Max had turned ten last year and began his Pokémon journey in Hoenn, later placing in the top four at the Hoenn League. Now, he was exploring Kanto with the hope of securing a victory in the Kanto League. He managed to catch a variety of Pokémon in both regions using the knowledge he learned from his childhood experiences with his sister, Ash, and Brock. He also had three traveling companions, though they were going to arrive in Lumiose City later.

Dawn and Kenny both made an attempt at winning the Hoenn Grand Festival last year, which turned out to be unsuccessful. Now, the Coordinators were having a try at the Contests in Johto. Dawn's decision to participate was inspired by her brief journey in Johto while competing in the Wallace Cup there.

Zoey was experiencing a proud success as a Top Coordinator ever since her Grand Festival victory. Her face had been featured several times in Contest magazines.

Misty, Brock, and Cilan were all making excellent progress with their occupations and goals. Misty was under consideration for becoming a part of the Indigo Elite Four for a few months now, Brock was almost ready to receive his Pokémon Doctor license, and Cilan was on his way to becoming an S-Class Connoisseur.

Paul, Trip, and Barry, as traditional Pokémon Trainers, continued on their journeys at different regions. Trip had decided to continue traveling in Kanto, the very region he once begrudgingly called 'the boonies', and found that it was to his liking. Paul and Barry spent the last couple of years in regions Ash never heard about.

However, Ash was particularly interested by May's story. After departing from the Sinnoh Wallace Cup, she was able to win the Johto Grand Festival and become a Top Coordinator. Since that time, May became one of the more famous Top Coordinators, with the Contest media outlets following her for the past two years. It didn't take long until she found membership in the Top Coordinator Elite Association, an elite group of Top Coordinators considered to be 'the best of the best'. She was now good friends with other extremely famous Top Coordinator Elites, like Marina, Lisia, and Courtney. Ash was extremely happy for her success.

"That's awesome, May!" he exclaimed as soon as May finished her story. "I'm glad for you! You managed to accomplish your dream. I'm proud of you!"

"Thanks, Ash," replied May, blushing. Serena, Misty, and Dawn frowned at her upon noticing the tinge in her cheeks.

"OH MY ARCEUS!" a voice suddenly shouted. "IT'S MAY MAPLE FROM PETALBURG CITY!"

"What, really?!" another voice asked.

"Where, where?!" cried a third voice. "I wanna take a picture!"

Soon, the customers and even some of the restaurant employees began to swarm around the group's table, bursts of bright light now flashing everywhere incessantly and relentlessly. Ash and the others shielded their faces from the light, with some being overwhelmed by the heavy presence. The only ones who remained calm were none other than May and the ever-stoic Paul. Chuckling happily, May stood up from her chair, allowed her fans to get a couple of photos, and took out two Poké Balls.

"Hey, everyone!" she greeted. "Wanna see some of my action?!"

"YEAH!" everyone chorused, startling some of the people at May's table.

"Oh, boy..." groaned Max as he buried his face in his palms.

"BLAZIKEN, DELCATTY, TAKE THE STAGE!" called May as she threw the Poké Balls, unleashing her Pokémon.

"Whoa, May!" Ash exclaimed as he spotted the Delcatty. "Your Skitty evolved!"

"Of course it did," May replied, winking at him knowingly. "As a Top Coordinator Elite, I needed to make sure my Pokémon kept up with my skills!" Then, she pointed to the high-rising window ceiling, an extremely confident smile on her face. "Now, Blaziken, Delcatty! Let's give these folks a little Rain Dance!"

Delcatty fired an Ice Beam towards the ceiling, followed by a Fire Spin from Blaziken. The Fire Spin swirled around the Ice Beam without affecting it. As soon as both attacks were about to reach the ceiling, the Fire Spin enclosed itself around the Ice Beam, causing a small explosion of steam and vapor. Droplets of rain began to fall from the small clouds and down towards the customers, a product of the combined attacks. Everyone stared up in awe as the droplets hit their face. Once the rainfall cleared up, the clouds of vapor parted slowly, allowing the sunlight to break through from the window ceiling and illuminate the area, especially May. Any rain droplets that remained sparkled with the sunlight as they fell all around May, giving off the image that the air around her was _glittering_.

At first, no one in the restaurant reacted, which caused Ash and the others at their table to become alarmed. After all, the performance they saw looked amazing and indicated that a whole lot of work and training went into the move. However, May still looked confident, as if she was expecting something.

Then, the entire crowd burst into a cheer, with some applauding, Ash and most of the others included. Even Paul looked impressed.

The only one who wasn't impressed, however, was Serena. In fact, she was frowning at the Top Coordinator...

* * *

**Rouge Plaza**

"THAT. WAS. AWESOME!"

Bonnie skipped between Ash and May as the entire group walked down the cobblestone walkway, engaged in group conversations. The bright golden sun was setting across the horizon. After May concluded her Contest act in the restaurant and signed some autographs for her younger fans, the group quickly finished the food they purchased and made their leave before May's fans could demand for more. The entire time, Bonnie made her awe and enthusiasm clear.

"Awesome, awesome, AWESOME!" the little girl squealed.

"DEDENNE!" Dedenne added, nodding in agreement.

"Will that girl _shut up_?..." asked Paul in irritation. Clemont, who was in earshot, chuckled nervously.

"Well, that's Bonnie for you," the inventor replied. "Always so excited about every fascinating thing she sees..."

Bonnie began walking backwards so she could look up at May. "How'd you do that, May?!" she asked.

"Well," replied May, "it takes a whole lot of practice, commitment, and teamwork between myself and my Pokémon for us to pull off a performance like that. Trust me, Bonnie, you've only seen a fraction of what I can do." She crossed her arms proudly. "I've got many techniques much more impressive than that."

"_Wow_..." Bonnie's eyes were shimmering in awe. Then, she began walking forward in the same style as May. "I know what I wanna be when I get older!"

"We already know, Bonnie," replied Ash, chuckling.

"I wanna be a Top Coordinator just like May!"

"Wait, WHAT?!" Clemont exclaimed. He ran up beside his younger sister. "I thought you wanted to become a Gym Leader?"

"That was _before_ I saw May doing that Coordinating stuff! It's so awesome!" Bonnie looked down at Dedenne. "What do you say, Dedenne? Should we Coordinate?"

"Dedenne!" replied Dedenne, nodding in approval.

"Then it's settled!"

"That's awesome!" May cried, smiling. She stopped and knelt towards Bonnie. "Gonna be a Coordinator, eh? Well, how about you and I meet up again?" She placed an arm around Bonnie's shoulders, her smile widening. "I'll give you some pointers on how to become a Top Coordinator, like me!"

"Really? You'd do that?"

"Of course! I'll teach you everything I've got!"

Clemont's face paled when Bonnie replied excitedly, "Alright, I'll do it!"

The two girls resumed walking side by side, talking to each other excitedly as the others followed. Clemont continued to watch them, feeling an unknown emotion.

"That's nice," a voice said softly. Clemont turned to his side and saw Ash walking beside him. "Bonnie looks up to May a lot."

"Yeah, I guess..." replied Clemont as he looked down at the ground. He expected Ash to catch on and help him out, but he heard his friend pick up the pace so he can catch up with May. His heart sank even further once he heard Ash join their conversation, like it was nothing to be concerned about...

"That's my sister for ya."

Clemont looked to his other side and saw Max walking beside him. He was staring at his older sister with disapproval.

"Huh?" the inventor asked.

"All caught up in herself," replied Max. He looked at Clemont. "And she's got your sister in her clutches. This might not be good."

"Why? Why is it not good?"

Max looked back at May, his eyes narrowing. "Call it a _hunch_..."

Meanwhile, Serena watched as Ash, May, and Bonnie continued to talk among each other. She had to restrain herself from snapping, there and then. Not only did May have Ash's attention, but she also had Bonnie's. Serena knew she had to watch out for May as a potential rival for Ash's affections...

_"As if Miette wasn't bad enough..."_ she thought. _"And then there's..."_

She looked at Misty and Dawn. Both were distanced from each other but wore the same jealous expression as they observed Ash and May's conversation...

_"Looks like I've got some competition..."_

"Everything all right, Serena?" a voice asked. Serena saw Hilbert walking beside her.

"Yeah," she lied. "Yeah, everything's fine, Hilbert." She smiled softly. "Sorry we couldn't get to your training. We got sidetracked..."

"It's okay," replied Hilbert. "I think it can wait till tomorrow. As long as it's before the PWT, I'm fine."

"Tepig..." added Tepig.

Serena smiled Hilbert, and Hilbert smiled back. Then, she looked back at Ash and May, not noticing that Hilbert was still staring at her...

* * *

**Autumnal Avenue**

"We definitely should do this again tomorrow, Ash," Brock said as he and Ash shook his hands. Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were facing the others, standing on the sidewalks of Autumnal Avenue. M Electronics was a couple of blocks away, and the sun was still setting, giving the scene an orange glow.

"You bet we will!" replied Ash, giving a thumbs-up. "So, where should we meet, guys?"

"How about the Pokémon World Festival?" Cilan suggested. "There's a lot of fun activities there. We could occupy ourselves!"

"That sounds great!" replied Misty.

"I guess," Paul added, shrugging stoically.

"Then it's settled!" Ash exclaimed, holding up a determined fist. "We meet again tomorrow, at the Pokémon World Festival!"

"Pika!" added Pikachu.

"YEAH!" everyone else chorused.

A brief silence followed, then...

"You know," Dawn piped, "this entire time, this reunion actually reminds me of something I read in a book while I was at Johto, competing in the Wallace Cup there."

"Really?" replied Clemont, curious. "What did you read in Johto?"

"Well, I can't exactly remember what the book was called, nor can I fully recite what I read. I do know it was some weird limerick about a group of really good friends who once met at the end of the year or something like that. We're all good friends, we're all having a big reunion, and we are at the end of the year already."

"Well, it sounds pretty accurate, if you ask me," Ash said, smiling.

"Yeah, very accurate." Dawn suddenly rolled her eyes and scoffed as she remembered something. "You know, now that I'm thinking about it, that limerick ended with some weird question about one of those friends. I can't remember the question, though." She shrugged. "Whatever. Guess it's time to call it a day!"

"Yeah. We'll meet again tomorrow at the festival." He turned around, along with Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie. "Till then, bye!"

The others chorused their goodbyes to the quartet as they made their way back to M Electronics. Ash and Clemont waved modestly at their friends, Bonnie continued walking backwards and waving at May in particular, and Serena was giving her own wave, although it was more halfhearted than the others. Her mind was still on the possibility of Misty, May, and Dawn being potential love rivals for Ash's heart, as well as a conversation she had with Hilbert while on their way to Autumnal Avenue...

_"Hey, uh...Serena?..."_

_"Yeah, Hilbert?"_

_"Do you, uh...do you wanna exchange phone numbers?"_

Serena stopped waving and looked down at the cobblestones that made up the sidewalk. She decided to give Hilbert the phone number to M Electronics, while he had given her his own number at the BW Agency's summer getaway mansion. She didn't know why she decided to do that, let alone why Hilbert asked for her number?...

_"Relax, Serena,"_ she thought. _"He probably did that so he could get in touch with Ash. After all, he admires him! Yeah, yeah, that's right! That's why!"_

The honey-haired Trainer looked up and smiled, just as the quartet was about to reach M Electronics. There, they saw someone standing at the doorway with Meyer, a box held in his hand. They recognized him as the same blue-haired, tall, thin man they saw leaving the store yesterday, the one Meyer claimed was a new assistant.

"Okay, Boyd," Meyer said, "make sure the equipment doesn't get broken along the way. The customer's paying a lot of good money for those things."

"Come on, Meyer," the man replied. "I've got the best hands! You can count on me to deliver this safely! ...And for the last time, it's Floyd, not Boyd!"

"Floyd?" Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie asked simultaneously.

The blue-haired man turned towards the quartet in surprise. Their eyes narrowed at him as soon as they recognized him.

"YOU!" they all shouted.

Floyd blinked in shock before replying, "Well...fancy seeing you guys here..."

* * *

**Lumiose City International Airport**

The girl with thick, long dark-purple hair tied in a ponytail stepped out of the Lumiose City International Airport, barely avoiding all of the countless other commuters who were flooding the building. She looked up at the horizon as the sun continued to set. Through the bright and golden sunlight, she could see the dark outline of a serpentine shape flying across the sky, slithering like a water snake through a body of water. The girl's lips curved into a smile.

"Took us a while," Iris said, "but we're finally here, huh Axew?"

The Axew popped out of the large mass of her purple hair and chirped excitedly, "AXEW!"

* * *

**At the top of Prism Tower**

Down below the streets of Lumiose City, no one noticed the figure crouched at the top of Prism Tower, surveying the skies with advanced binoculars. Finally, his sights settled on the serpentine shape flying across the sky in the horizon. A malicious smirk formed on his young face as he lowered his binoculars, revealing blue eyes.

"Target sighted, Alastair sir," he spoke into an earpiece. "It arrived just as we predicted."

"Excellent," the voice of Alastair replied. "We will be tracking its movements from here. Retreat from your post, Orlando. You're needed at Lake Valor."

"Understood, sir," Orlando said, nodding before switching off the earpiece.

The young teenage boy hopped onto a skateboard-shaped device, which activated itself and flew off into the sky with Orlando in tow.

* * *

_"There was once a group of close friends  
Who once met up together at the years' ends.  
Oh, **a heroic union** it must've always been,  
But who was the one who raised their chin  
And began making the amends?"_

–G.H. Warner, _Poems from the Johto Seas_

* * *

**Next time on "Judgment's Fall"**

**Saturn:** I still believe in the New World Order! Don't you dare judge me on that...

**Maxie:** Well, well, well, it's been a while..._Archie_...

**Looker:** Look, I really think the kid's right about this!

**Alastair:** Good. Prepare to dive, men.

**Orlando:** We found something in the wreckage, Alastair.

**Archer:** I don't care what they say, kid. You're _still_ trying to prove something...

**Unknown:** Where... Where _am_ I?...

**Chapter 4: The Powers That Be**

* * *

**A/N:** And here we are, the eventful reunion chapter between most of our heroes! And more shall come! But for now, we must shift our focus to the Syndicate...

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

**FanaticLAguy06:** I'm glad to hear you're interested in this! Keep following; it'll definitely get more interesting by the time Act I ends... ;)

**Gyga (guest reviewer):** Ooh, so you're correct! Also, thanks for pointing out that error! I fixed it, if you didn't notice.

**ajani's apprentice:** We'll see if Tobias is involved...

**Guest reviewer:** Yes. But he will not be joining till later.

**King nintendo (guest reviewer):** Consider your question answered! :D

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	6. The Powers That Be

**A/N:** Sorry I haven't been very active with my other stories lately. I'm very focused on this one at the moment, as well as the ideas I'm brainstorming for future fics.

ENJOY!

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters  
Location unknown**

Luka felt her eyelids flutter open, and the first thing that came into her line of vision was the row of iron bars. Groaning, she slowly, almost carefully rotated her head around her shoulders to survey her surroundings. On either side of her were also rows of iron bars, polished and lacking of rust. The object her back was lying against was solid and smooth, so she assumed it was a wall made of concrete. Feeling a headache coming to her, Luka gripped her forehead and groaned again.

_"Where am I?..."_ she thought.

She tried to remember what happened to her before she was rendered unconscious. However, the female boater could only recall riding the Johto seas inside her boat when a burst of light abruptly illuminated the vehicle. Luka had stopped the boat and looked up at the sky to see who or what was causing the light when...

Unconsciously, Luka placed her hand over the left side of her neck. As soon as she did, that familiar pricking sensation arose, for only a second.

"Son of a..." murmured Luka.

"Uh uh uh," a voice suddenly replied, startling the woman.

"What?" she exclaimed. "Who-Who's there?"

"You need to learn to watch your language, missy," continued the voice. Luka noticed it sounded elderly. "We have kids here, you know..."

Luka tried to stand up, but found out she couldn't. Her legs felt completely numb, and whenever she tried to stand up, her arms began to tremble severely. She could only watch as the person who addressed her came into view. The figure stepped out of the darkness as he approached her cell, being illuminated by the poor lighting.

The enigmatic person was a short, stout man with a balding head sporting mauve hair. He was wearing a pair of small circular glasses with red lenses and what Luka saw as a strange choice of clothing. It consisted of a large black lab-coat, a black undershirt with a red tie, and black pants. Then, Luka noticed the sneer on his face.

"Who the hell are you?!" she cried.

However, the man raised his index finger and wagged it. "I thought I told you, missy," he replied tauntingly, "you need to watch the language-"

"To hell with that!" Luka clenched her fist. "Who are you?! Where am I?! Why am I here?!"

Suddenly, the man chuckled. His chuckle was so eerie that it brought shivers to Luka's skin. She mentally cursed herself for not bringing a jacket with her.

"Yep, you're _just_ like your great-grandfather. Always seeking the facts, before all else."

Luka's eyes widened in surprise, just as the man's sneer widened. Another chuckle escaped his lips, and it was more malicious than the first.

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Powers That Be**

* * *

"It appears the girl has woken up from her sleep."

"Excellent..."

Alastair stared down the metal railing and into the lower chamber that held twenty-five glass containers. Most of the containers were empty, except for just four. They were holding certain items: the Adamant Orb, the Lustrous Orb, the Griseous Orb, and what appeared to be a silver feather. Standing beside him was a purple-haired man sporting hazel eyes and red streaks on two of his bangs. There was also a crimson-colored mark located underneath his right eye.

"So," the purple-haired man said, "should we get rid of the girl now?"

"No, Brodie," replied Alastair as he continued to stare at the three orbs and the feather. "No. She'll be the first of many pieces of our leverage. Benefactor's orders."

The man named Brodie bowed. "Yes, sir. Understood." He then joined Alastair in looking down at the lower chamber. "We're getting closer..."

"Yes, and faster than we ever knew." A malevolent grin appeared on Alastair's face. "Demonstrates the rising power of the Syndicate."

"Indeed. We are making quite the ascendancy, sir. Historians will no doubt look back at this year in wonder and admiration."

The two men continued to stare down into the lower chamber in silence. Then, Alastair's head moved upward slightly.

"Anyway," he continued, "how goes the matter concerning our newest recruits, Brodie?"

* * *

**Elsewhere in the headquarters**

_**"Well, according to Curtis's report...there's some...**_**difficulties_..."_**

Saturn sat on the lower level of the bunk-bed, the very cushion he had to call his new bed ever since his breakout from prison. He was not dressed in his formal Team Galactic attire, instead wearing pale-gray sleepwear that would look rather ridiculous on him in the eyes of his inferior grunts. Looking at the clothing, the blue-haired man found that they reminded him of the clothes he wore in prison. It was as if the Syndicate was reminding him that he would still be in prison if it weren't for them.

**_"I assume you mean Saturn?"_**

Saturn's eyes narrowed slightly as he continued to stare down at his clothes. He clenched his hands into tight fists.

**_"...Yes. Mostly."_**

_"It doesn't matter if I'm incarcerated or not,"_ the Commander thought. _"In the end, I still have to answer to my past crimes in some way..."_

"Saturn?" a familiar voice asked. "You okay?"

The Commander looked up and saw Mars standing coolly in the doorway of the quarters he shared with her and Jupiter. She was dressed in her formal Team Galactic attire, her arms were crossed, and there was a tight frown etched upon her face. Saturn could sense what she was going to talk about from a mile away.

"Why aren't you dressed up, Saturn?" she asked. "Alastair is expecting us to report to him in a few minutes."

Saturn blinked, then replied, "My apologies. I was just caught up in my thoughts for a moment." He stood up. "I'll get on it right away..."

However, he didn't move, and Mars merely stood at the doorway, continuing to watch him. Finally, a bitter frown came upon the blue-haired man's face.

"What, Mars?" he asked. "I do need my privacy, you know. Get out."

"You know, Saturn," she replied, "it's been only a couple of days since our liberation from that Arceus-forsaken hellhole of a prison, and yet, all you've been doing this entire time is just sulking around like your Toxicroak. You haven't celebrated the occasion or anything, not even once. Very odd behavior, if you ask me-"

"If you're implying that I wholly prefer prison over liberation, then you're sadly mistaken, Mars. I am indeed thoroughly pleased in our freedom. I'm...just thinking..."

"Yeah." Mars scoffed. "Thinking about how _untrustworthy_ the Syndicate truly is."

Saturn gritted his teeth. "We thought Cyrus was trustworthy when he confided to us about his vision of the New World Order. And look how _that_ turned out, Mars. We wound up being tools for his own selfish and egotistical ambitions, tools which he intended to discard once he was done with them. Like an old screwdriver! You've got no further use for the screwdriver when it breaks on you, now do you?" He crossed his arms. "And now we expect to trust Alastair and his Syndicate just as quickly?"

"They're our newest opportunity to achieve the New World Order! We must seize this opportunity!" She narrowed her eyes. "Unless you no longer _believe_ in the-"

"I still believe in the New World Order!" shouted Saturn, startling his red-haired colleague. Then, he added in a vicious snarl, "Don't you dare judge me on that..."

Mars smirked. "Then hurry up and respond to Alastair's summons. Do not keep him waiting, Saturn." She turned around and started walking away, but then stopped. "Oh, and Saturn? About your old screwdriver analogy... If you just glue the screwdriver back together, won't it become useful to its user again?"

A growl emanated from the man's mouth as he watched Mars walk away from the scene. Once the redheaded woman was out of his sight, he looked down at himself, examining his clothes once again. Every time he looked down at them, he would easily mistake them for the attire he wore in prison. To Saturn, it seemed as though nothing changed. He was still a prisoner, left to suffer from the burden brought by the fallout of the crimes committed by Cyrus...

_"And what happens when the glue on the screwdriver finally breaks?..."_ he thought.

* * *

In another, much larger chamber of the Syndicate headquarters, Maxie watched from a balcony as his Team Magma grunts interacted with one another, all rejoicing at their second chance in achieving their mutual goal. He was wearing a long-sleeved, red-and-charcoal-gray lab-coat bearing the Team Magma insignia; a charcoal-gray undershirt with a red collar; red pants with a large, yellow belt; red boots with high-rising red leg protectors; a red neck protector; and a pair of high-tech glasses.

_"To think,"_ he thought, his lips pursing, _"after that horribly flawed attempt to control both Groudon and Kyogre, so as to expand the lands of Hoenn in order to attain peace, I believed that the lands were fine the way they were. It appears I was wrong, that I was hopelessly foolish and misled. As time passes, the chances of peace on Hoenn continue to slip downward. Peace can only be attained by force. And with the aid of the Syndicate, Team Magma can finally achieve this peace..."_

"Leader Maxie?" a voice piped. Maxie turned to his side and saw his Field Commander Tabitha approaching him. During their time in prison, Tabitha had changed a lot. He had gained some weight, his eyes became squinted, and he dyed his hair black. The Field Commander was wearing clothing identical to Maxie's.

"Yes, Tabitha?" replied Maxie.

"I give my thanks to the Syndicate for freeing us and allowing us to pursue Team Magma's goal again, even assisting us, but..." He looked around, as if someone was eavesdropping on their conversation. "I have my doubts about this entire operation. Specifically concerning the other organizations in the Syndicate's ranks-"

"If you're talking about Team Aqua, Tabitha," Maxie interrupted, "then you can abandon the subject. I met with Archie yesterday, and with Alastair's aid, we settled on a compromise that'll be enacted once the Syndicate conquers the world and helps us get what we need. Rest assured, Tabitha, everything is going as planned."

The Field Commander's eyes widened with disgust. "You're seriously okay with working _alongside_ Team Aqua, Leader?"

Maxie closed his eyes and sighed. "Of course not. It's an unbearable travesty, this compromise. But if we go against this, then there's no doubt the Syndicate will view Team Magma as dead weight, a grave threat to its goal. And once it does, it shall cut us away like a cancer." He opened his eyes and looked Tabitha directly, a serious expression etched on his face. "The Syndicate is our only lifeline at this point. Without its connections, Team Magma is as good as dead. And remember, we're wanted by Hoenn authorities. We've been that way ever since the Syndicate broke us out. If we surrender to them, we'll face even greater punishments for fleeing in the first place." He gazed down from the balcony at his inferior grunts. "And there's no doubt Archie feels the same way about this predicament."

"But still, Leader, we're working _alongside_ Team Aqua! The grunts haven't been informed of this yet. If they find out, there'll be a riot!"

"Indeed... Teams Magma and Aqua are like water and oil. They can never mix without one or the other being contaminated. I share your sentiments, Tabitha, that our alliance with them is the lowest point we could ever reach. But we must remember what we are fighting for. Peace across the lands of Hoenn."

"So," a voice said suddenly, "you wish to grant Hoenn peace by _expanding its lands_? And deprive it of its source of water? Yeah, totally peaceful, if you ask me."

Maxie smirked, while Tabitha's eyes widened (as much as they could, at least).

"Well, well, well," said Maxie, "it's been a while..._Archie_..."

The two Team Magma leaders twirled around and spotted the Team Aqua Leader standing a couple of yards away from them. Archie's skin had darkened slightly after spending his incarceration inside the beach-side prison he requested, and his beard had also grown sharper and slightly longer. He also wore a full-body blue swimsuit with white sides, a golden equipment belt, and a small charcoal-gray cape; a large, golden anchor-shaped necklace; and a light-blue bandana bearing the Team Aqua insignia. Maxie's eyes narrowed in suspicion, while Tabitha's hand twitched instinctively towards his pocket, something Archie noticed.

"Now, now, Tabitha," the Team Aqua Leader said, "you wouldn't wanna do that, now would you? It'd ruin that little compromise Maxie and I struck."

"So I've heard," snarled Tabitha as he moved his hand away from his pocket.

"Why are you here, Archie?" Maxie asked, his voice now laced with irritation.

Archie shrugged. "Well, I could not help but overhear your little conversation. What were your words, exactly? Uh... 'But we must remember what we are fighting for. Peace across the lands of Hoenn.' ...Right?" Then, he let out a laugh. "By expanding its lands and depriving the region of its sorely needed water?"

"I believe you already made your point on that, Archie."

"Then surely you must realize what I'm getting at here, Maxie."

The Team Magma Leader closed his eyes and exhaled sharply. "If you are here to challenge my ideals, then you're one to talk. Flood a good portion of Hoenn with the seas and kill many humans and Pokémon in the process. That was Team Aqua's ideal, right? To achieve peace?" He scoffed. "I've never heard of such a contradictory blasphemy! Hearing of it makes me sick." Maxie opened his eyes. "At least Team Magma's method of bringing about peace across Hoenn is less lethal."

"Yet it gives the people and Pokémon of Hoenn a slow and painful death at the hands of the Sun and the heat! I would prefer a quick and painless death over that!"

"Team Magma did not forget about the horrors of excessive heat, Archie. We planned to give the residents of Hoenn all the extracted water they need. And now what would _you_ have done for the residents of Hoenn, Archie? Hm? You can't give them more land to make up for their newfound inadequacies. Otherwise, everyone shall demand more land until you are essentially forced to bring back Hoenn to its original state, otherwise face resistance. It contradicts your goals!"

"Same with you and your precious water sanctions, Maxie." Archie smirked. "People will demand more water as well. You will be backed into a corner just as tightly as I would be." Then, he closed his eyes. "Hoenn has always suffered from a humid climate. It is quite a physical torture during the summer on its own. At least all those people and Pokémon will have the water they need to cool off. You, on the other hand, Maxie, seem to _enjoy_ enhancing the torture brought upon the poor innocents-"

"YOU DARE CAST ME IN SUCH A LIGHT?!" screeched Maxie, his glasses glinting with the sunlight. Down below the chamber, the Team Magma grunts stopped talking.

"Oh, maybe I am, maybe I am not," Archie replied calmly. His smirk was widening into a mocking sneer. "Tell me, Maxie, how does it feel to pursue a goal that you, in your deluded mindset, believe to be for the good of Hoenn when it fact it will turn out to be its ultimate downfall?!"

Seconds later, the Team Aqua Leader dodged a Hyper Beam that was fired his way. Landing on the balcony but keeping his balance, Archie growled as he looked up at Tabitha, who was glaring daggers at him. His Mightyena stood in front of him, facing Archie as well as smoke issued out of his mouth.

"If you EVER mock my Leader and the righteous ideal of Team Magma like that EVER again, Archie," the Field Commander snarled threateningly, "I swear, I SWEAR to the almighty Arceus, I will have Mightyena tear you limb from LIMB! Slowly and PAINFULLY so!" Mightyena barked in emphasis. "You got that, bozo?"

"CRAWDAUNT, BUBBLE BEAM!" a female voice screamed.

A blast of bubbles appeared, forcing Maxie, Tabitha, and Mightyena away from Archie. Tabitha growled as soon as he saw someone enter the scene with a Crawdaunt.

"_You_..." he snarled.

"Yes, me," replied Tactical Commander Shelly. Like Archie, her skin had darkened slightly from those years spent in the beach-side prison. She had also dyed her hair black with two light-blue streaks, and she was also wearing blue eye-contacts that covered her natural scarlet pupils. She was wearing a full-body, two-piece swimsuit colored in different shades of blue, along with golden goggles and a golden chain wrapped around her waist, dangling loosely.

Shelly continued, "It's obviously been a while, Tabitha, so allow me to give you and your _Leader_ a small tip of advice, now that we're working alongside each other. If you ever threaten _my_ Leader like that EVER again, either of you-" She pointed at Tabitha and Maxie. "-then I'll have Crawdaunt snap you in half with his claw! And I'll make sure it'll be, as Tabitha mentioned, _slow and painful_. Now, I want you to recall your Mightyena, Tabitha, or else!"

"Not until you recall your Crawdaunt, Shelly!" snapped Tabitha.

"No, your Mightyena goes first."

"No, Crawdaunt first!"

"Mightyena first!"

"Crawdaunt first!"

"Mightyena!"

"Crawdaunt!"

"MIGHTYENA!"

"CRAWDAUNT!"

**"MIGHTYENA!"**

**"CRAWDAUNT!"**

Mightyena and Crawdaunt growled at each other menacingly. Both prepared to fire attacks at each other when a lone Shadow Ball suddenly appeared and struck the ground between the Team Magma and Aqua leaders. Once the dust settled, a hole between the leaders was revealed to have been created by the small explosion.

"WHO THE HELL DID THAT?!" Tabitha and Shelly screeched at once, as Mightyena and Crawdaunt readied themselves for battle.

"Tabitha..." Maxie whispered in warning.

"Shelly..." whispered Archie urgently.

The second-in-commands followed their superiors' terrified gazes. They immediately saw, to their utmost shock and horror, the very thing that aided in their liberation from prison: the feline-like unknown Pokémon clad in the suit of dark-gray armor. It was levitating in the air, directly above the Team Magma grunts, all of whom were looking up at it in awe and fear, some even cowering behind their colleagues. Maxie and Archie's skins paled at the sight of the unknown Pokémon.

"You are all _unbelievable_..." a voice said.

Maxie, Archie, Tabitha, and Shelly turned around and saw Alastair approaching them, his eyes closed. Trailing directly behind the black-haired man was (to Maxie and Tabitha's disgust) Brodie, former master of disguise for Team Magma. The two Team Magma leaders still couldn't believe that after all those years, Brodie managed to find employment within the Syndicate, the very organization that was now holding their organization under its wing.

"Alastair, sir!" Archie exclaimed, hoping to appeal to him, but Alastair silenced him with a dark glare.

"It's not even 24 hours," the Syndicate lieutenant said, "and Teams Aqua and Magma are already at each other's throats." He sighed. "To be honest, I was hoping the two of you would lose it at over _48_ hours." He shrugged. "But it appears I should've been more well-versed in the actions of two preschool children with only one toy."

Maxie and Archie grunted angrily at the insult, but refused to speak further. Alastair pursed his lips and looked at the unknown Pokémon.

"I have this handled, MTX," he said. "You are dismissed."

The Pokémon silently nodded before flying off. Then, Alastair glared at Tabitha and Shelly.

"Never do something that provocative ever again," he snarled. "The janitors just scrubbed this balcony clean too. Now, they have a bigger mess to take care of."

"Yes, sir..." both second-in-commands replied meekly.

Then, Alastair glared at Maxie and Archie. "You two, exert more control over your inferiors. You aren't the leaders of your organizations just for show, are you?"

"No, sir," both leaders replied, their skins now florid with frustration. "We'll be more careful next time, sir."

"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me-" With a swish of his lab-coat, Alastair turned around and headed back to the direction from which he came. "-I must be off. Brodie!"

"Alastair, sir!" the master of disguise barked in response.

"Keep your eye on them. And don't use this time to reconnect with old friends. Our time is almost upon us!"

"Sir, yes sir!"

Alastair went out of sight, allowing Brodie to face all four leaders.

"Brodie..." Maxie said.

"Maxie," replied Brodie, nodding curtly. Then, he stretched out his arms. "So, who's in for some conquering?!"

* * *

**International Police Precinct A-1 Headquarters  
Location top-secret**

"Look, I really think the kid's right about this!"

"Agent Looker, I don't wanna hear about this anymore."

Looker was standing before the General Assembly of the International Police inside a small meeting room. A paper detailing Nate's findings was clutched in his hands. Charlotte Durant was at the head of the group, and her cold eyes were staring down the agent fiercely, although Looker was undaunted.

"Mrs. President," pleaded Looker, "you _must_ listen. For the sake of the world!"

"Agent Looker," Charlotte replied, "d'you honestly expect us to believe that someone, let alone a _student_ at the Academy, managed to assemble all of this information that you have before us? And in just a matter of six months? Even if _you_ did it, I wouldn't believe it. The International Police cannot afford to follow false leads-"

"They're not false, though!"

"Agent Looker, did you just _interrupt_ me?"

Looker's skin paled, and he bowed apologetically. "I did, ma'am. I'm sincerely sorry, ma'am."

Charlotte pursed her lips. "You should be lucky you have a stellar track record, Agent Looker, otherwise I would've demoted you back to a D-rank agent on the spot."

The agent's eyes narrowed as he remembered something. His lips pursed as well, he looked back up at the General Assembly, specifically Charlotte.

"Speaking of which..." he replied.

"Excuse me, Agent Looker?"

"Why didn't you inform me of the escapes of Teams Galactic and Plasma?" Looker slammed the paper down on the table the General Assembly members were seated on, startling several, although Charlotte was the only one who remained calm. "Why was I not given an alert on that before the meeting? I never heard so much of a peep before then! Do you remember exactly _who_ was responsible for putting them behind bars in the first place?!"

"We did remember, Agent Looker," Charlotte replied calmly. "It was you."

"Then why not tell me?"

"Because we couldn't trust you."

Looker raised an eyebrow. "_Excuse me_?"

"You heard us, agent. We at the General Assembly couldn't trust you." Her statement was met with nods of agreement from the other General Assembly members. "I thought it would be best if you were treated like any other agent at your precinct, receiving this mission for the first time. Everyone else agreed-"

"Why?! Why wouldn't you trust me?! I know Teams Galactic and Plasma better than anyone else! I would've provided a good insight on the case!"

"Well, if we can recall from the reports, you voluntarily allowed innocent bystanders to get involved."

"I never said that in any of my reports," snarled Looker.

"Well, the reports from the Localized Law Enforcement Association told us otherwise. The reports said that several people, including children, were caught up in your investigations, and you allowed them to assist you. That's a serious breach in International Police policy. Keeping innocent civilians clear of the investigation is one of the topmost priorities for any and all International Police agents. Surely you must've known that, Agent Looker. Right?"

"Those kids were an exception-" Looker began.

"There are _no_ exceptions in the rules, agent," interrupted Charlotte. "In fact, such actions, which were committed not once, but _twice_, are punishable with removal of badge and status. The only reason we went easy on you was because you have contributed so much for the International Police."

"So, you're saying the General Assembly gave me a pass for both incidents?"

"Yes, agent."

"Just because I was already doing so well?"

"Yes, agent..."

"In spite of the fact that it qualifies as a heavily biased decision under the International Police policies." Looker smirked when Charlotte became silent; he knew he got her and the rest of the General Assembly where he needed them. "I wonder how the world would react if they find out about this-"

"Don't you DARE, agent!" roared one of the assembly members.

"Do I take it you're _blackmailing_ us, Agent Looker?" asked Charlotte, her voice tight.

Looker's smirk widened as he replied, "Of course, Mrs. President. Surely, the General Assembly will give me a pass on that one too, since I've contributed _so much_ for the International Police." He watched Charlotte's skin pale. "And _surely_ the General Assembly will kindly take a look at these findings without asking anything, since I have contributed _so much_ for the International Police." He slid the paper over to the nearest assembly member before smiling innocently. "Please?"

"Agent Looker..." Charlotte began, but her voice trailed off. She was at a loss of words.

The agent's hand moved towards his pocket as he said mockingly, "Oh, I nearly forgot! I have to update my daily blog! My millions of subscribers are waiting-"

Before he knew it, Charlotte and the other members of the General Assembly were going over the paper. With a satisfied smile, the agent departed from the meeting room, straightening out his suit as he did so. He immediately saw Nate leaning against the opposite wall, his arms crossed.

"Oh, hey Looker!" the student greeted as he spotted Looker. His expression became tense. "So...did the General Assembly-?"

"They've decided to look at your paper," interrupted Looker.

Nate's eyes widened, and he smiled in relief. "_Really_?! Oh, thank Arceus!" Then, he raised an eyebrow. "But...how'd you manage to convince them to-?"

Again, Looker interrupted, "What can I tell you? Apparently, I contributed _so much_ to the International Police that they took the paper without a second thought."

* * *

**Valor Lakefront  
Lake Valor, Sinnoh**

The waters were calm at Lake Valor, and several Wingull and Pelipper flew over the surface, squawking and cawing. The only objects present in the lake were a couple of buoys, a sailboat, and a small cargo ship. Citizens of the lakeside town observed the lake in awe from its railings. Among them was a nicely-dressed couple, both of whom were walking along the lakeside, hand in hand. The woman's head was leaning against the man's shoulder as she was blushing slightly.

"Oh, Roman," the woman said lovingly, "this was a _wonderful_ anniversary. First a boat ride, then that gourmet meal, and now this lakeside walk. I am so happy that I could spend this time with you." Then, she kissed her lover in the lips for a couple of seconds. "And I'm very happy that I'm married to you."

"The feeling is mutual, Kylie," Roman replied as he kissed his wife back. Then, a smile came to his face. "Kylie?"

The blue-haired woman snuggled her head up against his shoulder. "Yeah, Roman honey?"

"Do you think it's..._time_?"

Kylie's eyes widened as she looked up at her husband. She immediately understood what he meant.

"Roman!" she exclaimed. "I...I don't know... I don't think I'm quite ready-"

"Well, I understand if you wanna wait a little longer. But think about it! It won't be just the restaurant that we'll be managing-"

"But that is exactly what worries me." Kylie looked down at the ground. "I'm not sure if I'm up for the responsibility. The Seven Stars Restaurant is bringing in all the tourists as usual. The bills for the house are piling up. Our Pokémon need daily care after their battles. Just think about what'll happen when we have an extra mouth or two to feed. Sure, it'd be very nice to wake up to a couple of adorable little faces, maybe with your looks and my hair. Watch them run around the house...scream at each other...hug our legs...tell us that they love us so much...grow up...have kids of their own..." A smile came to Kylie's face. "...Well, now that I think about it, I can't seem to wait any longer. I'm pretty sure the money we're getting will be enough for at least one more mouth..." She looked up. "W-What do you think, Roman?" However, she noticed Roman's attention seemed to be diverted to Lake Valor. "Um, Roman? Roman, honey? _Roman_..."

"What's that?" asked Roman, pointing towards the lake.

Kylie followed her husband's finger and saw that she was pointing at the strange streak of flames headed towards the cargo ship.

* * *

**On the waters of Lake Valor**

Orlando hopped off his flight device and landed smoothly on the deck of the cargo ship. His skateboard-shaped aircraft then transformed into a tiny sphere, which he caught as it fell through the air. After putting the sphere away, he approached the group of people who were already present on deck: Charon; four people dressed in seemingly high-tech, full-body swimsuits colored in shades of yellow, white, black, and green; a man controlling a large, excavator-like device; and ten or so people, all apparently knocked out and tied up together. Charon let out his signature chuckle as he approached the teenage boy and patted his shoulder.

"Prompt as usual, Orlando," the elderly scientist remarked. "And always making a grand, colorful entrance. I'm impressed."

"Just give me the orders, Charon," replied Orlando bitterly.

Charon sneered. "Touchy, touchy. Anyway, Alastair wants you and these four-" He pointed towards the people wearing the swimsuits. "-to dive down to the bottom of Lake Valor to retrieve the lost technology down there." He pointed towards the water. "Hopefully it'll still be operational."

"Down to the bottom of Lake Valor. I assume you're talking about the tech once used by Pokémon Hunter J?"

"Yes, that's exactly it." Charon approached a metal box, opened it up, and took out its contents: a fifth swimsuit. "Here, Orlando. I hear you really like red."

Orlando gritted his teeth. "Shut up, old man."

Charon merely chuckled again.

The following hour was spent with Orlando going to a private quarters so he could change into the swimsuit. Afterwards, he walked back onto the deck and joined his comrades as they stood in a straight line. Charon walked back and forth in front of the group, a walkie-talkie in his hand.

"Everything set?" asked Charon as he looked at Orlando and the four others.

"Yes, sir!" the five chorused.

"Larson, ready?"

"Yes, sir!" the large, muscular man wearing the green swimsuit replied.

"Redding, ready?"

"Yes, sir!" the tall, wiry man wearing the black swimsuit replied.

"Marks, ready?"

"Yes, sir!" the stout man wearing the white swimsuit replied.

"Stevenson, ready?"

"Yes, sir!" the muscular man wearing the yellow swimsuit replied.

"Orlando, ready?"

"Just get on with it already!" snapped Orlando, his swimsuit prepared.

Charon chuckled before pressing a button on his walkie-talkie and saying, "Alastair, sir, all final preparations have been made."

**_"Good," _**replied Alastair from the other line of the device._** "Prepare to dive, men."**_

The five lined themselves up at the side of the ship. Orlando looked down into the waters of Lake Valor and smirked, just before he pulled out a Poké Ball.

"Swampert, GO!" he shouted as he threw the Poké Ball, summoning the Mud Fish Pokémon.

Charon shouted, "GO, GO!"

Orlando dove into the lake, followed by Swampert, Stevenson, Marks, Redding, and Larson. Propellers instantly emerged from their backs and began running at high speeds, allowing the five to dive deeper down without any difficulty. Startled Water-type Pokémon swam away from the group as they raced downward, past them.

_**"Remember, you five,"**_ came Charon's scratchy voice, via shared communication device between the five swimsuits, _**"you've all got one hour at the bottom of the lake, starting when you reach it, so explore as fast as you can and retrieve as much technology as you can. Then, you've got only ten minutes to get back to the surface. Past that point, the water pressure will crush you better than I can crush an egg. Heh heh heh."**_

"Ha ha ha, very funny, Charon," Orlando replied sarcastically.

"Understood, Charon sir," Redding said as the communication switched off.

* * *

**Lake Valor Police Station  
****Lake Valor Waterfront**

"Officer Jenny!" Roman shouted as loud as he could. He and Kylie ran up to the local police station, where Jenny was standing guard with an Arcanine. "Officer Jenny, we just saw some weird rocket or something crash into that cargo ship, I think! And now, the ship's not moving!"

"Don't worry, Roman," replied Jenny. "We've already been informed of the situation. Officers are being dispatched to the ship as we speak." She then glanced towards the cargo ship, an eyebrow raised. "It's weird, though. There isn't any fire that I can seen. I don't even see smoke..."

Suddenly, another police officer burst out of the station. "Officer Jenny!" he cried.

"What is it, Officer?" replied Jenny as Roman and Kylie watched.

"Undersea radar detected six pings heading towards the bottom of the lake at high speed!"

"WHAT?!" Jenny, Roman, and Kylie all shouted.

* * *

**Lake Valor seabed**

It didn't take long for Orlando and his comrades to land on the seabed of Lake Valor and begin exploring. Swampert took the lead as the five others trudged their way across the water and undersea vegetation. As they did so, they looked around and took occasional glances at their watches.

After a couple of minutes, Orlando pressed a button on his headgear and called, "Hey, Swampert! Do you see anything?!"

The Mud Fish Pokémon nodded and pointed off towards the northwestern direction. Orlando and his comrades climbed a small hill, then smiled upon recognizing their intended destination: the wreckage of the gargantuan, futuristic airship. Ever since its destruction at the hands of Uxie and Mesprit, the ship seemed to have become a makeshift home for the Water-type Pokémon living in Lake Valor, as many schools of various species were swimming through it, while others rested in its interior.

"Here we are, gentlemen," announced Orlando, stretching out his arms dramatically. "The airship of Pokémon Hunter J!"

"Some Pokémon Hunter..." Larson remarked, scoffing.

"Got taken down by two mere Pokémon," added Stevenson. "What a joke..."

"Alright, enough chitchat, men!" Orlando snapped. "Begin exploring right now! Salvage all the operational tech you can find! We have-" He took a quick glance at his watch. "-Only fifty-six minutes left before we need to get back to the surface! So I suggest you use those fifty-six minutes wisely! Go, go, GO!"

"Yes, Orlando sir!" the four men chorused. They saluted their superior before breaking off into different directions and entering the airship through holes adorning its hull, thus leaving Orlando and Swampert alone. The teenager looked up at the wreckage and smirked slightly.

"My thanks, Pokémon Hunter J," he said, "for leaving your tech for the Syndicate to use." He turned towards Swampert. "Ready to go, Swampert?"

Swampert nodded and grunted in response. Orlando chuckled before raising his left arm, which had a strange, large white bracelet wrapped around his wrist.

"Alright, then!" he shouted. "Swampert, MEGA EVOLVE!"

The Mud Fish Pokémon was engulfed in a bright burst of light, which then dissipated after several seconds. Now, its form was much larger and bulkier, with three long red spikes on its cheeks and three rows of long black fins running down its head and back. Mega Swampert roared and smashed its muscular hands together, causing a powerful shock-wave that struck the side of the airship and brought down a good portion of the wall, forming a large entrance for Orlando to walk through.

Orlando grabbed one of Mega Swampert's fins as it swam through the hole it formed. Pressing another button on his headgear, the teenager soon found himself being able to see through the walls and other obstacles. For the next half-hour, the two rummaged through the airship, taking any sort of undamaged technology they could possibly find. They would occasionally come across Stevenson, Marks, Redding, and Larson in different parts of the airship as the two went along.

Finally, after a while, Charon's voice emanated from the communication device on Orlando's headgear.

_**"Orlando, how's it going down there?"**_

"We've managed to find ourselves a lot of usable and repairable tech inside the airship, Charon sir," replied Orlando as he continued to hold onto the swimming Mega Swampert. "Pokémon Hunter J definitely outdid herself prior to her demise. So, how's it going on your end? Did the police respond already?"

Charon chuckled eerily. _**"Just as I predicted. Do not fret, Orlando. We dealt with the officers accordingly."**_

Orlando's eyes narrowed. "By accordingly, you mean that you gave them some cock-bull excuse to send them on their merry way, not knock them out, right?"

The scientist chuckled again, louder this time. _**"Oh, my dear boy Orlando. Have I ever lied to you?"**_

"Not when the Benefactor is concerned," the boy replied in a deadpan tone.

_**"We sent the officers on their merry way, just as you said, Orlando. No violence was required. Now, do continue on with your search. You've got-"**_

"Another half-hour left," interrupted an unsatisfied Orlando. "Do remember that I have myself a wristwatch, Charon." He sighed angrily as Charon chuckled yet again. "...Orlando out." The teenager deactivated his communication device, just as Mega Swampert stopped swimming. "Swampert? What is it?" He followed his Pokémon's gaze, finding that the Mud Fish Pokémon was looking towards a large steel door. "Do you sense something behind this door?"

Mega Swampert nodded, and Brendan activated his X-ray vision device. Staring at the contents behind the door, his eyes widened upon recognizing them.

"My Arceus..." he whispered to himself. Then, he deactivated the X-ray vision and pointed at the door. "Bring that door down, Swampert!"

Mega Swampert nodded again. Then, it grabbed the steel door and, with a loud roar, violently ripped the sheet of metal off its hinges with huge ease due to its large, bulky arms and form. Meanwhile, Orlando reactivated his communication device, waiting for one of his comrades to respond.

Redding was the first to respond. _**"Orlando, what is it?"**_

"Get everyone else to my position," ordered the boy. "You're not gonna believe what I just found."

_**"Roger that, Orlando,"**_ Redding replied before hanging up his line.

Then, the teenager rerouted his line to the person he needed to talk to the most. It didn't take long for him to respond.

_**"What is it, Orlando?"**_ asked Alastair. _**"This had better be important."**_

"We found something in the wreckage, Alastair," Orlando replied. "It's...It's unbelievable..."

There was a brief silence at Alastair's end. Then...

_**"I'm listening..."**_

* * *

**International Police Precinct A-1 Headquarters  
Location top-secret**

Looker couldn't help but smirk in his seat as the General Assembly stood on the stage of the briefing room. Charlotte was still holding the paper he gave them, and a bitter expression was etched on her face, no doubt brought from actually being _challenged_ by one of her inferior agents. Though he couldn't believe he actually stood up against the General Assembly like he did earlier that day, Looker felt extremely proud of himself regardless. Nate's information seemed factual and logical enough to require some professional insight. He instinctively glanced towards the doorway; while Nate wasn't standing outside, he was at the Academy, no doubt waiting...

"I wonder why the General Assembly called us here again..." a voice said, beseeching him. Looker turned to his right, spotting Tedesco taking the seat beside him.

"Beats me, Tedesco," Looker replied, lying through his teeth. "But I can only imagine it has something to do with our new case. Probably something groundbreaking."

"Speaking of groundbreaking," said Tedesco, looking over his colleague's shoulder, "where's Archer?"

Looker looked behind him and saw the seat usually occupied by his colleague and rival. Surprisingly, it was empty.

"Odd... Archer's never late to these kinds of meetings, even if he's semiretired..." Looker looked back at Tedesco. "Probably has to do with his pride getting hurt after that security bust with his student yesterday." He couldn't help but imagine a broken, defeated Archer and laugh at the thought. "Poor him..."

"Pride getting hurt?" Tedesco rolled his eyes as he gazed back at the stage. "More like shattered."

"Silence, please," Charlotte suddenly said sternly, silencing all conversations that were going on inside the room. "Agents, you must be wondering why all of you have been called back here, only a short time since our last meeting..." Her grip on Looker's paper tightened, something only the agent noticed. "Well, since that time, the General Assembly has received some new..._information_...regarding the case." She opened the paper and began reading it. "We have reason to believe Teams Galactic and Plasma, the criminal organizations who escaped from their prisons in Sinnoh and Unova, are not the only ones who fled captivity and are on the run."

Murmurs broke out among the confused and shocked agents. Blinking in surprise, Tedesco looked at Looker, who pretended to look as confused as everyone else.

"Not the only ones?" repeated Tedesco.

"This doesn't sound good," Looker replied innocently.

"For the last time, _silence_," Charlotte snapped, her voice sounding more irritated than usual. "This is a matter of dire urgency. The General Assembly has deemed this new information to be completely accurate and foreshadowing a grave threat to possibly the entire planet, so I urge everyone to LISTEN."

Silence fell across the briefing room, and even Looker was shocked by her reaction. Did Nate's research really appear convincing to the General Assembly?

Charlotte continued, "According to our information, we have reason to believe that numerous criminal organizations across the world are involved with the escapes of Teams Galactic and Plasma. This includes organizations that are not being investigated by us, but rather the G-Men and the Pokémon Rangers. And..." Charlotte's skin suddenly paled, surprising several agents. "We have every reason to believe this is bigger than just the escapes of two organizations."

An agent suddenly raised his hand, and Charlotte nodded at him.

"What makes you think so, Mrs. President?" he asked.

"The research our source managed to compile." She showed the audience of agents the paper that Looker gave her, and the latter noticed the sheet bore Nate's name on it. "According to it, there's been a number of strange shifts in criminal activity worldwide, and this is not just limited to regions like Sinnoh and Unova. These shifts were documented by the PCR, which indicates that they seem to have started four years ago, and that they became more alarming during the past few weeks."

"And what makes you think it's connected to the jailbreaks?" the agent asked.

"The fact that Teams Galactic and Plasma aren't the only criminal organizations to escape from their prisons." Her nostrils abruptly flared up. "And don't you dare talk among yourselves, agents! I am not yet finished with my announcement!" She cleared her throat. "Anyway, the International Police wasn't informed about these new jailbreaks because they are under the jurisdiction of the G-Men. However, these incidents bear the same M.O. as our jailbreaks."

"Who were the organizations that escapes, Mrs. President?" a female agent asked.

"Teams Magma and Aqua, both of the Hoenn region," replied Charlotte gravely. "These escapees include their leaders, Maxie and Archie, and their lieutenants, Tabitha and Shelly." She closed her eyes. "From what this research says, we are most likely dealing with an operation that took four years in the making, one that involves an extremely high number of criminal organizations. I won't even hesitate to say that all of these organizations might be working together under some sort of alliance..."

This time, it wasn't murmurs that broke out among the agents. It was shouting.

* * *

It took a while for the General Assembly to calm the other agents down and then announce the new initiative of the case.

Apparently, with the brand-new information presented for the case, the International Police agency was to join forces with the Localized Law Enforcement Association, the G-Men, and the Ranger Union, the first alliance of its kind in world history. This was because the other agencies had jurisdiction over all of the other criminals and criminal organizations in the PCR. Though the General Assembly hadn't contacted their counterparts in the three agencies, they expressed their plans to do so.

As for the agents investigating the case, they were ordered to remain on standby till they received further information from the General Assembly.

Once the comprehensive briefing ended, the agents flooded out of the room, surprisingly more disorganized than usual. Looker noticed more than a few shocked and panicked expressions on his colleagues' faces, Tedesco included. He was about to follow the others out of the room when he heard a familiar voice address him.

"Agent Looker!" called Charlotte. "May we see you for a moment?"

Tedesco, who was nearby, nudged Looker in the shoulder. "Guess you're gonna finally be properly filled in on Teams Galactic and Plasma," he said.

"Yeah, it appears so," Looker lied in response before waving at Tedesco and approaching the stage, where the General Assembly stood. "Yes, Mrs. President?"

"It appears this Nate kid is smarter than he seems," Charlotte replied. "He certainly knew his research."

"Ma'am, if I may, what exactly are you planning on doing about this...Benefactor business?"

Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "Pardon me?"

"I mean, you mentioned everything on that paper except for the Benefactor. What is your strategy for the Benefactor?"

The woman's eyes narrowed. "Just because I said this boy was smart and knew his research doesn't mean we found credibility on _all_ of his claims."

"But how else would you explain all of those organizations switching gears like that?"

"One man alone can't possibly control an organization of this magnitude. It would require a panel of people, much like the General Assembly. But I do not want to talk about this Benefactor nonsense. Tell me, Looker, where is Nate Brown right now? We wish to talk with him about this matter."

"He should be in his class at the Academy right now." Looker turned around to leave. "Shall I go get him?"

"Yes, please. And report back to us at the meeting room where you gave us this paper."

Looker nodded and prepared to leave. Then, he felt a chill rush through his body as Charlotte addressed him again.

"And Agent Looker?"

"Y-Y-Ye-_Yes_, M-Mrs. P-Pr-President?" stuttered the agent.

"Had you not threatened to blackmail us about our decision to keep you as a B-rank agent instead of demoting you on the spot, the General Assembly would not have found this information in the first place. And for that, we thank you for your..._unorthodox_...tactic. But if you do that again, we won't be as forgiving."

"You can bet your job on that," another assembly member snarled.

"Is that understood, Agent Looker?" Charlotte asked.

"Understood, Mrs. President," replied Looker as he looked back at them. "And thanks, for keeping me."

* * *

**Room 201  
Peller Hall, International Police Academy  
****Location top-secret**

Looker entered the large, expansive lecture hall, hoping to catch Nate as he departed. According to the class schedule he managed to take a quick look at while inside his dorm room, the agent had deduced that this classroom would be where the boy would be at. Unfortunately, he picked a very bad time to rush over there, since at this moment, it would be around the time class was dismissed. Indeed, he saw only the professor, a young, bespectacled blonde woman, sitting at her desk.

"Professor Lane?" he asked.

The woman looked up. "Yes, that's me," she replied. Then, she recognized the International Police uniform. "Oh! H-How may I help you, agent?"

"Yeah, do you know where one of your students might have gone? His name is Nate Brown."

"Nate Brown?" Her eyes brightened. "Ah yes, Nate! Such a brilliant student. Anyway, he had to leave class early. Another professor of his called him over."

"Another of his professors? Do you know who that professor is?"

A bitter look came upon the woman's face, and Looker recognized that expression from anywhere. He could see the response coming from a mile away.

"Who wouldn't?" she asked. "It was Professor Archer. Stuck-up bastard."

* * *

**Archer's office, Room 467  
Brunestein Hall, International Police Academy**

"I don't care what they say, kid. You're _still_ trying to prove something..."

Looker recognized Archer's voice coming through the doorway of his office. As he approached the simple wooden door bearing Archer's name, the agent could hear an uncomfortable shuffling on top of a seat. He quickly assumed it was Nate, and with a grunt of disgust, Looker swung the door open.

"Arceus-damn it, Archer, leave the kid alone," he snarled. His eyes immediately darted towards Nate, who was indeed sitting in an uncomfortable-looking seat. Archer was standing over the boy, his face florid, an infuriated expression on his face. The semiretired agent grunted in anger upon recognizing Looker.

"What the hell are ya doing here, Looker?!" Archer demanded.

"Looker!" cried Nate happily. "Did the General Assembly accept my research?"

Nate smiled triumphantly, much to Archer's distress. "They did, kid. They did." He crossed his arms triumphantly. "And now, because of your paper, we're gonna have to work alongside the Localized Law Enforcement Association, the G-Men, and the Ranger Union in order to bring down this organization."

"WHAT?!" barked Archer.

"What?!" Nate exclaimed. He laughed excitedly. "This alliance has never happened before!"

"Yep," replied Looker. "All because of you. Now, the President and the General Assembly want to see you." He narrowed his eyes at Archer. "_Now_."

Taking the cue, Nate quickly got out of his seat, took his backpack, and joined Looker's side. The both of them left the office, but not before Nate shot a smug look at Archer's direction, drawing a disgusted snarl from the professor. Once the two entered the main hallway and approached an elevator, Nate looked up at Looker.

"I knew I could count on you to do this for me!" he said, smiling.

"Well, anything for an old friend of mine," replied Looker, still looking at the elevator.

Back at Archer's office, the professor grumbled angrily to himself. Then, he sat down at his desk, gazing at his desktop blankly.

"Kid's just like his damn father..." he snarled to himself. Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by the loud ringing of his phone. "ARCEUS-DAMN IT!"

* * *

**Team Rocket Emergency Headquarters  
****Location top-secret**

"Giovanni, sir!"

Giovanni grunted in surprise, having not expected Matori to run back into his office so quickly. He turned around on his revolving chair and stared at his secretary. He was surprised to see the exhausted but excited expression on her face, but he kept his curiosity at bay and continued to act professionally.

"What is it, Matori?" he asked.

"Butch and Cassidy have returned," replied Matori. "They have brought Jessie, James, and Meowth."

The Team Rocket leader smiled. "Bring them in, Matori."

The secretary nodded loyally, stepping out of the office and into the doorway, motioning someone to come on inside. A few seconds later, Jessie, James, and Meowth marched inside the office, followed closely by Cassidy, Butch, Raticate, and Shuckle. Giovanni grunted in disgust at the second group.

"I don't want _you_ two," he snarled at Cassidy and Butch. "Leave my office at once!"

With looks of dismay, the two grunts recalled their Pokémon and left the office sulking. Jessie, James, and Meowth grinned mockingly at the two retreating rivals. As soon as Cassidy and Butch stepped out of the office and Matori shut the door behind them, the trio came back to full attention and saluted.

"Jessie, James, and Meowth reporting for duty, Giovanni sir!" announced Jessie.

"What are your orders, sir?" asked James.

"It don't matter, eitha' way," Meowth replied. "We're ready ta serve!"

Giovanni grinned. "That's _exactly_ what I like to hear. Now, you three, I want you to listen _very_ closely..."

* * *

**Unknown location**

The woman felt her eyelids flutter open, and she was instantly greeted with a burst of bright light that was emanating from several large spotlights on the high-rising ceiling. Looking around, she noticed that the room she was in was devoid of any other objects, as far as she could tell... Then, she realized that her limbs were tightly restrained by steel cuffs on what she deduced to be an operating table of sorts...and that her left arm was entirely _robotic_...

She growled angrily and tried to struggle against their grip, but it was useless. Grunting in defeat, the woman laid her head back on the headrest of the table.

"Where..." she began, but she initially couldn't find her voice. Finally, she completed, "Where am I?..."

Suddenly, she heard a set of advanced doors open and close by themselves. Before she knew it, she was looking up at a man with unkempt black hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a pair of thin-framed rectangular glasses, a large black lab-coat, a black undershirt with a red tie, and black pants. A chuckle escaped from his lips.

"Welcome back to the world," he said, "Pokémon Hunter J."

* * *

_"Let every person with a heart and soul submit themselves to **the powers that be**, those that are anointed to Arceus."_

–Excerpt from The Original Book of Alpha, Chapter IV, Section I: Hearts and Souls

* * *

**Next time on "Judgment's Fall"**

**Bonnie:** You'd better not be lying this time, or else!

**Unknown #1:** I've never known you to be the mentor type, May.

**Bianca:** Watch out, watch out, WATCH OUT!

**Ash:** My goodness, more familiar faces!

**Clemont:** I can never be good enough for anything...

**Unknown #2:** How impressive...

**Serena, Misty, May, Dawn, Melody, Macy, Anabel, and Angie:** Grrrrrrrr...

**Chapter 5: World's Beginning**

* * *

**A/N:** Pokémon Hunter J returns! And it looks like the General Assembly has recognized the true threat and is doing something about it! Epicness is arising! :D

I would like to thank those who reviewed:

**Avatar Rikki:** Floyd is one of the four antagonists in "Separation", the one who's beginning to regret his association with his friends. Oh yes, do rejoice! Paul and Trip are in this story! And that's just the beginning, mind you! Oh, and as you can see, there's no Ash or any others in this chapter. But don't worry, that's obviously gonna change in the next chapter. I just needed to take a break and refocus on the bad guys, as well as those who are actually trying to get on top of them.

**Gyga (guest reviewer):** I'm glad you enjoyed the reunion! And there's more reunions to come! And speaking of your comment about Paul and Trip meeting up, that actually gave me a good idea! But you shall see in the next chapter. Speaking of Paul, yes, I based his new outfit on Silver's HGSS outfit. I did that because he is said to resemble Silver in more ways than one, and I wanted to reference that. Yes, I plan to bring in those minor rivals too. I'm gonna have a hard time in the future. :P

**ajani's apprentice:** Yes, this is AmourShipping. That's why I put it there in the summary. I never lie in the summaries. Needless to say, the poem's not important. It is just for the chapter, but you can interpret it any way you want. Some things are intentionally gonna go unanswered in this story. Yes, Gary will appear, but not now.

**King nintendo (guest reviewer):** Team Rocket will never fail to fascinate me with their new lows in the series. XD

**thor94:** I didn't indicate anything about Max being stronger than Ash. You really shouldn't look into those scenes literally. And when I said realism, I meant accuracy to the show (sadly enough). And please, don't go on about Ash's strength. I DID tell you he'll get stronger as the story goes along. Would it kill you to be patient?

**guest (guest reviewer):** **PLEASE DON'T START AN ARGUMENT IN THE REVIEW SECTION.** I've seen many in a story I'm following, and I do not want to have that in my reviews. If that happens, I WILL remove your reviews, as well as those of anyone else participating!

**Leader of the Bronies:** I'm so glad you think this is great! "The Way We Will Be" is not canon to this story and "Separation", though. It's its own canon.

**justareadersofar:** You'll see how it goes... ;)

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	7. World's Beginning

**A/N:** Man, I feel like I'm on a roll with this story. ENJOY!

**Edit:** I've done some new changes with the chapter so it could fit with what happened in the most recent episode in the XY anime.

* * *

**M Electronics  
Autumnal Avenue**

"Floyd?" Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie asked simultaneously.

The blue-haired man turned towards the quartet in surprise. Their eyes narrowed at him as soon as they recognized him.

"YOU!" they all shouted.

Floyd blinked in shock before replying, "Well...fancy seeing you guys here..."

_**"We were...we were, uh...researching. Yeah, that's what we were doing. Researching!"**_

_**"You remind me of someone I used to know very well."**_

_**"What, what?! What's going on, Serena?!"**_

_**"We've wasted enough time with this. Let's just get back to Nick and Lloyd..."**_

_**"CARBINK, USE PSYCHIC!"**_

Those words, and more, raced back to Serena's mind as she remembered her first encounter with Floyd and his evil companions. Those memories were accompanied by even more horrible, frightening ones of Ash, Bonnie, and Clemont all suffering gravely because of them, nearly even being killed! If Floyd was here, then that must mean Adam, Lloyd, and Nick were not far behind. And who knows what those four villains were scheming in Lumiose City?...

There was one thing Serena knew for sure, though: it wasn't good.

"You slimy, rotten, good-for-nothing CROOK!" Ash snapped suddenly, pointing at Floyd accusingly.

"PIKA!" Pikachu added, his cheeks sparkling with electricity.

"Wait, wait, wait, hold on!" Meyer exclaimed, stepping between the kids and his new assistant. "You four _know_ Boyd?"

"It's _Floyd_, Meyer," corrected Floyd, almost in agitation as he set down the box he was holding.

"Of course we do, Daddy!" Bonnie shouted angrily, pointing at Floyd. "He's a meanie!"

"Dedenne!" added Dedenne, nodding in agreement.

"Now, now, Bonnie, we can't go around, making wild accusations towards strangers like that-"

"She's right, Dad!" interrupted an angry Clemont. "Floyd-"

Before Clemont could complete his sentence, however, Floyd suddenly stepped between Meyer and the kids, an innocent expression on his face.

"Ah, kids," he said, chuckling towards Meyer. "Always being so energetic and imaginative, aren't they? Hey, can I talk with them in private, please? It's urgent."

"S-Sure..." the electrician replied, puzzled by the behavior he was seeing. Floyd nodded and began guiding the quartet a considerable distance away from Meyer.

"How dare you trick my daddy like that, you meanie!" cried Bonnie as she punched the blue-haired man's leg, although her punches were less than hurtful.

"Come on, guys, give me a break," Floyd replied, looking at Meyer to see if he was listening in.

"Last time we did that," Serena growled, "you and your _friends_ nearly killed me and _my_ friends. How in the world are we supposed to trust you _again_?"

"_Please_ listen to me, Serena. I ditched Adam!"

Everyone blinked in shock at his confession. "You...You what?" Ash asked.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked, equally confused.

"I left him and the others a few weeks back. I swear to Arceus, I did! If I didn't, then they would be lurking somewhere around here, now would they? Adam would've already burst out at the sight of you, Serena!" Floyd sighed, removed the cap he was wearing, and ran a hand through his blue hair. "Look, kids, I've changed. I have repented myself of my sins. Now, I'm living a normal life in Lumiose City, making money from odd jobs. My job as Meyer's assistant is the actually longest I have ever held down a job, and if I lose the job now because of what I did in the past, then I'll be doomed, or worse! So please, just don't mention anything about what I did-"

"Do you _really_ expect us to buy that sympathy bait, Floyd?" interrupted Serena, crossing her arms.

The blue-haired man clasped his hands together. "PLEASE believe me! I need this job! I've really changed my ways! Ask Meyer! He'll know I didn't do anything shady ever since I started working for him!" He bowed, startling the quartet of youngsters. "This is not a trick! Please, please, _please_, believe in my words..."

"Hey, kids, Boyd?" asked Meyer, becoming steadily impatient. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no, not at all!" replied Floyd before Clemont or Bonnie could respond. "And it's Boyd, not Floyd! I mean, Floyd, not Boyd!"

The electrician crossed his arms. "Well, if there's no problem at all, then can you cut the conversation there, please? Our customers can't afford to wait long hours."

"You're right, Meyer, absolutely right!" Floyd shot a glare towards the group of four, Serena in particular; a serious expression was etched on his face. "You may refuse to believe me all you want, kids, but I've changed. I won't stay around to convince you, though." He ran off towards the box he set down and picked it up. "I really do not have all the time in the world, anyway. Gotta make this delivery!" The man dashed off down the sidewalk. "I'll see you later! I trust you'll keep to your word!"

Ash, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and Meyer watched Floyd go. However, before he went out of sight...

"By the way," he called, "I like the new look, Serena!"

Serena's face became red in anger; she didn't want to be complimented by a villain. Once Floyd went out of sight, Meyer let out a hearty laugh.

"Ah, that Boyd kid's such an efficient worker," he said. "I'm glad I hired him on the spot!"

"He's been doing really good, Daddy?" asked Bonnie, looking up at her father.

"Of course! Otherwise, he would've been out of a job already and you'd be looking at a new assistant!" Then, he raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "...Speaking of which, how do you kids know Boyd, anyway? I've got pictures of you in the house, kids, and I'm pretty sure he's seen them. Yet he's never mentioned meeting you-"

"We had a really bad run-in with him," Clemont snarled.

Meyer's eyes widened. "Really? A bad run-in, you say, Clemont? What'd he do, exactly?"

"He-" began Serena, but to her shock, Ash stepped in front of her, an innocent smile on his face.

"Oh, it was nothing," he replied. "He had an issue with Bonnie over some last-minute muffins."

"Pika?!" exclaimed Pikachu, shocked by his Pikapi's generosity towards their allegedly-reformed tormentor.

"WHAT?!" Serena and Clemont shouted at once.

"An issue over some _last-minute muffins_?!" snapped an outraged Bonnie. "NOTHING like that happened!"

"Remember, Bonnie?" Ash smiled at his younger friend. "The muffins at Shalour City?"

"Muffins?" asked Meyer, confused. "Shalour City? I'm confused..."

_"So am I..."_ thought Serena as the black-haired Trainer turned towards her and Clemont, winked, and secretly gave them a thumbs-up.

* * *

**Chapter 5: World's Beginning**

* * *

**A couple of hours later**

"Thanks for letting me stay over for dinner, Meyer!" exclaimed Floyd happily as he ate the food on his plate. "It means a lot to me!"

Currently, Floyd was seated in the circular wooden table with Ash, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and Meyer. All six were eating, while Pikachu and Dedenne ate Pokémon food with Ampharos and the other Pokémon owned by Ash, Serena, and Clemont. All the while, the Pokémon took cautious looks at Floyd.

"Hey, anything for a friend of my children's," Meyer replied, laughing. Fortunately for Clemont and Bonnie, his laugh was loud enough to mask the gagging noises the two siblings made as they started choking on their food. "Besides, I feel quite bad for you. Having to go home to a shack sitting outside the city all the time." He then focused on his soup. "To think, all the money I'm paying you is still not enough to get yourself a house in the city. I probably should give you a raise or something-"

"NO!" Clemont and Bonnie shouted simultaneously, startling their father and Floyd.

"No?" repeated Meyer. "W-What do you _mean_ 'no'? Kids, Boyd's struggling to make ends meet, and you're saying we should shun him off? After all the hard work he's done for me and the business?" He looked at Floyd, smiling widely. "I think his more-than-worthy efforts and determination deserve a good raise."

"Thank you, Meyer." The blue-haired man prepared to eat another spoonful of his food before continuing, "And it's Floyd, not Boyd!"

"More like meanie!" snapped Bonnie, pointing at Floyd.

"BONNIE!" Meyer stood up, his booming voice startling everyone at the table. "I will NOT tolerate this kind of table manners! Apologize to Floyd at once!"

"NO, DADDY! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!"

"DEDENNE!" shouted the Antenna Pokémon.

"It-It's okay, Meyer-" began Floyd, but Meyer raised a hand to silence him.

"No, no, Floyd," the electrician said, "it's quite obvious my children still haven't gotten over that petty muffin incident." The mention of the purported incident caused Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie's faces to turn red in anger and frustration, while Ash chuckled nervously. "Now, Bonnie, I want you to apologize to Floyd right now."

"And if I don't?!" Bonnie asked, turning her back on her father and crossing her arms defiantly.

"Dedenne?!" added Dedenne.

"Then I will not allow you to play with Dedenne for a week."

Bonnie instantly turned around and bowed towards Floyd. "I'M SORRY, FLOYD, FOR BEING SUCH A MEANIE!"

"DEDENNE!" Dedenne cried, tears of sadness flowing down its cheeks.

Then, the little girl looked up at Floyd hatefully. "You'd better not be lying this time, or else!"

"_Bonnie_..." Meyer warned.

"Sorry."

"Dedenne..."

Ash chuckled at the scene, causing Serena to look at his direction curiously. She never expected him to be _this_ generous towards someone who once tried to kill him. Did he forget what exactly this person and his friends had done to brutalize and terrorize them? She knew Ash was a forgiving person, but she also knew he'd NEVER forgive people who senselessly endangered anyone, human or Pokémon, without any regret. It was weird behavior on Ash's part, and she knew it.

_"What are you _thinking_, Ash, by letting what happened with Floyd go?..."_

* * *

_**"This is Rhonda for Sinnoh Now, covering live the continuing festivities at the Pokémon World Festival! As we wandered around the festival, we have seen many famous celebrities taking part in the celebration. Gym Leaders, Champions, Top Coordinators, Pokémon Connoisseurs, the like! And we at Sinnoh Now can only imagine what the celebrity attendance will be like as the deadline for the PWT steadily approaches!**_

_**"We now go to Francine at- OOF! OW!"**_

* * *

**The Pokémon World Festival  
****The Prism Tower**

"Can we buy some ice cream, Clemont?"

"Not yet. We need to eat lunch first. Remember what Dad said about our hygiene, Bonnie."

"Aw, phooey!"

"Dedenne!"

Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were walking through the Pokémon World Festival grounds in search of Hilbert, Misty, Brock, May, Max, Dawn, Cilan, Paul, and Trip. Earlier, back at M Electronics, they received a call from Brock, who gave them the details on where to meet. However, considering the size of the festival, and the high tourist presence, it still proved to be difficult for the quartet to navigate their way across the area. Finally, after several minutes of searching...

"Hey, Ash! Over here!"

Ash turned his head towards a particular table in the middle of the festival food court. He smiled upon recognizing May first as she waved at him. Sitting at the same table was Misty, Brock, Max, Dawn, and Cilan. However, Hilbert, Paul, and Trip were absent from the table, though Ash assumed it was because they were late.

"PIKA-PIKA!" Pikachu called happily as the quartet approached the table.

"Good to see you again, Ash!" Brock greeted. Then, his grin widened slightly. "Hey, you'll never believe who I just saw on my way here, Ash."

Ash raised an eyebrow."Who?"

"Ritchie, Harrison, Tyson, and Nando."

"PIKA?!" Pikachu cried in joyful surprise.

"Ritchie, Harrison, Tyson, and Nando?!" exclaimed Ash, equally as surprised as Pikachu.

"Yep, them in the flesh." Brock's grin widened some more. "They're all traveling in a group, and they're here to participate in the PWT!"

"Who're those four?" Serena asked, confused.

"Some of Ash's old rivals."

"Wow," said Ash. "I can't believe Ritchie, Harrison, Tyson, and Nando are here too." However, he smiled. "But I guess that means more familiar faces, more rivalries!"

"Whoa, now! There's no need to get pumped up just yet, Ash. There's only two more weeks till the PWT starts."

"Yeah," Cilan replied, shaking his head. "There's absolutely no reason for ice cream to be served for a hot chili sauce. We must take this time to celebrate! Explore our new surroundings! Rejoice in our reunions and strike new friendships!" He scooped up some of the salad he was eating in a spoon. "The PWT can wait till later."

"You've got that right, Cilan," said Dawn.

"Pip-piplup!" Piplup chirped in agreement.

"Yeah, despite your weird analogy about ice cream with hot chili sauce," added May in a deadpan tone, causing the Pokémon Connoisseur to chuckle nervously. Then, her blue eyes brightened up. "Oh yeah, speaking of which!" She looked at Bonnie, who was sitting down at the table. "Wanna start learning some pointers on how to be a Pokémon Coordinator?" She pulled out a Poké Ball and winked playfully at the little girl. "I'll give you the best I know!"

Bonnie's eyes bulged with excitement. "WOW! Okay, okay! Let's go, Dedenne!"

"DEDENNE!" squeaked the Antenna Pokémon with excitement.

"Wait a minute, what?" Clemont asked, surprised. "Aren't we gonna eat lunch first?"

"But I promised to teach Bonnie some Contest pointers," replied May as she raised an eyebrow. Then, she smiled. "It won't take too long. Besides, looking at Bonnie, she looks like the kind of person who can't wait when it comes to something exciting!" Her smile widened. "After all, I was a lot like that! Come on, Bonnie!"

"Hooray!" the girl cheered as she followed the Top Coordinator away from the table.

"Dedenne!" added an enthusiastic Dedenne.

"Wait, Bonnie!" Clemont suddenly came to full attention, his eyes wide. "I'll-I'll buy you some ice cream by the time you get back!"

However, Bonnie didn't hear Clemont's shout. She was already skipping off alongside May towards one of the festival's unoccupied battlefields. Watching Clemont look after Bonnie and May in concern, Ash smiled, approached the aspiring inventor, and patted him on the back, chuckling warmly.

"Don't worry, Clemont," the raven-haired Trainer said. "I'm pretty sure Bonnie will have lots of fun with May."

"I..." Clemont hesitated for a moment. "I hope so..."

"Well, what're we waiting for?" asked Brock. "Come on, guys, have a seat! We haven't started lunch yet!"

Ash nodded as he sat down at the table with Serena and Clemont. The group spent the next few minutes discussing on random subjects as well as specific adventures that they recently experienced. All the while, Clemont was absentmindedly looking towards the direction Bonnie and May took, his eyes soft.

"So," Ash said after a while, "where's Hilbert?"

"He got held up with work," replied Brock. "We couldn't bring him along even if we tried because of that secret of his. He says he'll still come here, though, but later."

"Oh, okay. And..." The black-haired Trainer looked around. "What about Paul and Trip?"

"Well," replied Dawn, frowning with bitter disappointment as she narrowed her sapphire-blue eyes, "those two were unable to join us for lunch. They said they had to do some serious training." She emphasized the last two words through air quotes. "The PWT's two weeks away, and those two are only concerned about training."

"Well, that's Paul and Trip for you, though, Dawn. Always so concerned about strength and efficiency on the battlefield over all else." Ash chuckled. "Nothing is gonna change that part of them, even if Arceus was dooming the world." He chuckled again. "I say let them be. I would've done the same thing if I didn't have all this spare time to spend with all of you guys." Then, he raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "By the way, Dawn, how are your Contests going?"

"Oh, they're doing...good, I guess." Dawn shrugged as she looked away. "Still not a Top Coordinator." However, she smiled at him. "But hey, I'm still trying hard!"

"As long as you're trying hard, then that's good enough! After all, no need to worry!"

Dawn's eyes brightened, and she blushed slightly. "Right! No need to worry!"

Meanwhile, Serena and Misty watched the conversation. Both of their faces were turning florid by the minute as they started calculating how to cut off the exchange. Finally, much to Serena's distress, Misty was the first to address Ash. To further her distress, she watched as the Gym Leader grabbed Ash's _hand_.

"So, Ash," the orange-haired girl said, "how's the aspiring Pokémon Master doing these days?..."

Not hearing Serena and Dawn gagging in horror at Misty's sudden move, Ash replied happily, "Oh, still falling short on my League wins. But as Dawn says, no need to worry! As long as I'm trying hard, then it'll be good enough!" He cracked a smile. "As long as I have that mindset, I'll probably be able to reach my goal!"

Now, everyone except for Ash was looking at Misty. Her face was turning red again, this time at the reference of Dawn. Her grip on Ash's hand tightened.

"Ow, ow, ow!" the oblivious Trainer exclaimed as he tried to pull his hand away. "Misty, you're holding on too tight!"

"No need to worry, you say?" asked Misty, her eyelid twitching. "That's cute-"

"You let go of Ash right now!" Serena shouted suddenly as she stood up. "Or else!"

Misty glared daggers at the honey-haired Trainer. "Or else what?"

"Or else you'll regret it DEARLY!"

The Cerulean City Gym Leader released Ash's hand and stood up, prompting Brock to stand up as well.

"Whoa, whoa, there's no need to fight!" Brock exclaimed, waving his hands.

"OF COURSE THERE IS!" Serena and Misty shouted at once, startling everyone at the table.

"Pika-pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed, waving his hands in an attempt to quell the fighting.

"What's going on?!" Ash demanded. "Why're we fighting?!"

"You got me..." replied a confused Brock.

Max placed a hand over his face. "Aw, jeez..." he whispered.

Instinctively, Cilan stood up as well as Serena and Misty began growling at each other like wild Pokémon.

"Please, guys," the Connoisseur said, "we didn't set up this reunion just to have us go at each other's throats! So settle down!"

Cilan's words were able to reach both the aspiring Pokémon Performer and the Water-type Gym Leader. Looking at their friends, and especially Ash, both girls realized what they were doing and immediately settled down. Brock and Cilan both mentally sighed with relief as Serena and Misty sat back down.

"Sorry," they both said.

"No problem," Ash replied. "But what set you two off?"

"Like you'd know, Ash." Not only did Serena and Misty say that response, but so did Dawn as she looked away, her face blushing red.

The raven-haired Trainer blinked in confusion. "_Oookkkkkaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy_..."

Silence fell upon the group's table. Ash, Brock, and Cilan were all looking at the other members of the table in curiosity. Clemont was trying his best to look absent from the scene. Serena and Misty were still glaring at each other hatefully, although they were now keeping their expressions subtle for the sake of their other friends. Dawn was pretending to continue looking away, but now, she was secretly eyeing both Serena and Misty, her mind sensing a really good opportunity from the bitter rivalry that she indirectly started between the two girls. As for Max, he still had his face buried in his palm, being the only one truly aware of the situation.

Finally, before the awkward tension could mount over...

"Hey, Serena!" a familiar voice called out.

Everyone watched as four Trainers approached their table. Ash, Serena, and Clemont gasped upon recognizing three of them.

"Shauna!" cried Serena.

"Tierno!" Ash exclaimed.

"Trevor!" greeted Clemont.

* * *

"Come on out, everyone!"

May tossed all six of her Poké Balls, summoning Blaziken, Glaceon, Delcatty, Venusaur, Blastoise, and Beautifly in beautiful bursts of light. All six Pokémon issued cries of triumph, while Bonnie gasped in awe, her eyes widening and shimmering in excitement. Dedenne itself looked completely awestruck by the performance.

"WOW!" shrieked an excited Bonnie. "So these are all your Pokémon?!"

"Well, I've got a couple more back at home," May replied. "I'll show you them later, but for now, we'll start our little lecture with the Pokémon I have right now. So-"

"I've never known you to be the mentor type, May," a drawling voice suddenly interrupted.

May grunted in disgust, and she and Bonnie glanced towards the other side of the battlefield they were using. Standing there was a boy around May's age, with long, thick, unkempt green hair that made him appear to Bonnie like a bush, along with eyes as green as his hair. He was wearing a long-sleeved black shirt, a light-purple waistcoat, and bluish-green pants. Standing beside him was a Roserade, which looked evidently disappointed in being here.

"Drew," May greeted bitterly.

"You _know_ him, May?" Bonnie asked.

"He's a nobody, Bonnie. Ignore him."

A slight smirk curved the boy's lips. "What?" he replied sarcastically. "Aren't you gonna be courteous and give me a proper hello?"

May turned away. "I don't want any of your nonsense, Drew. As you can see, I'm giving her some pointers on how to become a Top Coordinator-"

"Like you?" Drew completed.

A smirk appeared on May's face. "Yes. Like me. Of course you wouldn't have that same luxury, since I beat you to the punch a long time ago."

"Well, seeing what being a Top Coordinator does to people, I can say I'm glad I got beaten by you back at the Johto Grand Festival."

May turned around, her smirk widening. "Ah, so we've finally come to the final stage of grief." She crossed her arms. "Well, guess what, Mr. Drew-boy? I am glad we were rivals. Without you, I wouldn't be where I am right now. Alright! Now that we've gotten this discussion over with it, I need you to go away. Bonnie needs me."

"As you wish," replied Drew, flicking his hair as he turned around, "_Ms. Top Coordinator_..."

May's face became red in an instant, and her frame began to tremble. Bonnie's eyes widened at the sudden change in her idol's behavior.

"WILL YOU STOP DOING THAT?!" the Top Coordinator screeched at the top of her lungs, startling everyone around her except for Drew, who smirked and turned back.

"Do what, May?" he asked.

"FLICKING YOUR HAIR LIKE YOU ALWAYS DO! ARCEUS, IT ALWAYS MAKES YOU LOOK SO **ARROGANT**!"

The green-haired Coordinator shrugged innocently. "What? I've got long hair. I can't help it if I wanna be able to see well."

"THEN GET A HAIRCUT, FOR ARCEUS'S SAKE!"

Drew shrugged again and walked away silently with Roserade in tow. May growled viciously at him until he was out of sight.

"M-Ma-May?" Bonnie asked, approaching her. "Are...Are you _okay_?..."

"Dedenne?" added Dedenne.

"Yeah..." May replied, the red tint fading from her skin. "Yeah, I'm okay, Bonnie. Sorry about that. It's...It's just that Drew annoys me _so much_. He's always been that way to me ever since he lost against me in the Johto Grand Festival and then when I became a Top Coordinator. No doubt he's just jealous."

Bonnie frowned angrily and looked at the direction Drew came from. She crossed her arms and huffed.

"I bet he is!" she exclaimed. "Let's ignore him, May! He's just a jealous meanie!"

"You got that right, Bonnie." The energetic smile returned to May's face as she looked down at Bonnie. "Well, now that Drew's out of the picture, let's start training!"

The little girl hopped up and down in response. "YAY!"

"DEDENNE!"

As the two resumed their lecture as planned, they never noticed Drew and Roserade watching them closely. Frowns of unknown emotion adorned their faces. Neither of them noticed the red-haired girl and her Glameow approaching the battlefield, also watching May and Bonnie with similar expressions.

* * *

"What're you doing here, Shauna?!" exclaimed Serena happily as she stood up and hugged her friend and rival.

"For the Pokémon Showcases, of course!" Shauna replied. "I wouldn't miss out on this opportunity for anything else in the world!" She scanned Serena from head to toe, admiring her new hairstyle and change of clothing. "I like the new look, girl!"

Serena blushed in embarrassment. "Thanks..."

"What about you guys?" Ash asked, looking at Tierno and Trevor.

"The PWT, man!" Tierno exclaimed in response as he and Ash shared a high-five. "What else?"

"It's pretty obvious everyone's here for the PWT," added Trevor. "We're all participating."

"So, I guess that means we're all rivals," replied Ash.

"You got that right!" Trevor flashed his friend and rival a thumbs-up. "Just like the good ol' days at the Summer Camp!"

Shauna then noticed the other people who were seated at Serena's table. "I never knew you had all of these friends, guys," she said. "Mind introducing us to them?"

"Oh yeah, that's right!" Serena gestured towards Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, and the unknown fourth Trainer. "Guys, me, Ash, and the others met these three Trainers at the Pokémon Summer Camp. We're all good friends. This is Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, and-" She then noticed the fourth Trainer. "Wait, I don't know you..."

Serena examined the unfamiliar Trainer from head to toe. He was tall and thin, sporting long charcoal-gray hair that completely covered his ears, as well as gray eyes that glimmered with a youthful energy, something that closely reminded her of the energy she always saw in Ash's eyes. He was wearing a long-sleeved jacket with a large collar, blue jeans, brown boots, and a pale-red cap with brown sunglasses on it, much like the style of her Pancham.

"I do," piped Misty, smiling slightly. "How's it going, Calem?"

"Oh, I've been doing fine, Misty," the unknown Trainer replied, smiling. "Thanks for asking."

"Misty, you know this person?" Ash asked, pointing at the boy.

"Yep," the Cerulean City Gym Leader replied. "He challenged my Gym a couple of days after we last met up. He really wiped the battlefield with my team."

"Nice to meet you all," said Calem, waving at Ash, Serena, and the others. "My name's Calem Xavier. I'm a friend of theirs." He pointed at Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor.

"Friend?" Tierno exclaimed as he wrapped his arm around Calem's neck lightly. "More like ringleader, right man?"

The Trainer chuckled. "Yeah, you might as well say that..."

"Yeah, this guy was always the de facto leader of the group ever since we were kids!"

"Wait, Calem Xavier, you say?" Serena asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, that's my name," Calem replied. "Why?"

"Oh, nothing. Just asking." However, Serena felt a strange tug in her gut. To her, the name sounded _familiar_ from somewhere...

"Yeah, well, that's me." He looked around at the table. "Hey, would you guys mind if we joined your table? Trevor here is starving."

"Sure!" Brock replied, smiling. "Anyone who's a friend of Ash is certainly welcome here! But..." He scanned the table. "We probably need more food..."

"Don't worry," Ash said as he stood up. "I'll get some more."

"I'll come with you, Ash!" Serena, Misty, and Dawn cried as they all stood up at once.

"After that excessively spicy argument you three got yourselves into?" asked Cilan disapprovingly. "I think only one of you should go-"

"We'll decide with rock-paper-scissors, then!" Misty and Dawn shouted as they immediately launched themselves into the game. "ROCK! PAPER! SCISSORS!"

"WHAT?!" snarled Misty. "YOU GOT ROCK?! THREE-ROUND GAME!"

"YOU'RE ON!" Dawn hollered.

"ROCK! PAPER! SCISSORS!"

As Misty and Dawn became immersed in the game, Ash felt someone tug at his arm. He looked across his shoulder and found himself staring into sapphire-blue eyes.

"Come on," Serena whispered. "While they're distracted."

"Pika?" asked Pikachu.

"Wha-?" Ash began, but Serena already began half-dragging him along with her. Looking behind him, he saw that Misty and Dawn had never noticed him and Serena leaving, still bickering and playing the childish game. He also noticed that Clemont, Calem, and Shauna were trailing right behind him.

"You sure got yourselves a nice fan-club there, Ash," Calem said, wagging his eyebrows at him.

Ash raised an eyebrow. "What're you talking about, Calem?" he asked.

Suddenly, the black-haired Trainer felt Serena's grip on his arm tighten considerably. He looked at her and noticed the growing redness on her face. Unfortunately for him, the grip was still tightening, and he was forced to break his arm away from his friend's vice-like grip. As Ash rubbed his sore limb, he heard Calem sigh.

"Whatever, Ash," he said. Then, Calem walked up beside Serena. "Hey, you're Serena Yates, right?"

"Y-Yes, that's me," replied Serena, her rage at Ash's obliviousness having been interrupted.

Calem flashed her a youthful, energetic smile that reminded her of Ash's. "I remember you!"

"Y-Yo-You d-_do_?"

"Yeah! You were my next-door neighbor for a couple of years!" Calem began rubbing his chin as he began reminiscing. "Your mother was always making you ride that Rhyhorn of hers, even though you didn't want to." He raised an eyebrow at Serena. "Don't _you_ remember me? I kept sticking up for you."

Serena looked away, blushing. "I do. At least, I do now." Memories of her less-than-pleasing childhood were starting to return to the forefront of her mind. "You were always getting timeouts from your mom because of that." Her eyes softened as she looked down at the ground. "I didn't think you'd remember me..."

"I'd remember any familiar face from my past." Calem began to chuckle. "It's funny, really. I met up with Shauna for the first time in seven years, and one of the first things she told me about was you. When she mentioned your full name, I knew you'd have to be that shy, quiet girl who lived next door and was being pressured into something by her mom." He shook his head. "And now, you finally found something to do on your own! Pokémon Showcases!

"You know, I know this is coming from a person you barely know, but as someone who stuck up for you, I must say, Serena...I'm quite happy for you!"

Serena looked up at Calem. "You are?" she replied in wonder.

The Trainer grinned at her. "Of course!"

The honey-haired Performer looked up at her newfound friend in awe. Less than a year after she reunited with the boy who saved her in the forest as a child, she was once again reuniting with another boy from her past. And this time, this boy actually _remembered_ her. In fact, he remembered her so much he brought up the subject first, not her...unlike Ash. She knew she met Calem after her fateful encounter with Ash, therefore she never really paid him much attention beyond friendliness since her attention was on Ash. But now, after all of those years, she was living out a scenario she had hoped to live out with Ash...

Meanwhile, Ash watched Calem and Serena's discussion. For some reason, as he watched them, he felt a strange twinge within him. He knew that it couldn't be some physical reaction, for he didn't feel any actual pain in his body, and he had just gotten out of a cold. However, the feeling he had...it was something that bothered him even more than any usual sort of physical pain. It was something he felt rarely, and he couldn't even recall the last time he felt such a feeling...

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the stomping of feet. Ash looked across his shoulder and spotted Shauna walking aggressively beside him. Her bared teeth were gritted against each other tightly, and he could barely hear a growl emanating from her mouth as she stared at Calem and Serena.

"Shauna?" Ash asked. "Are you okay?"

"Pika?" added Pikachu, switching shoulders to get a closer look at Shauna.

"Yeah," Shauna replied through gritted teeth. "Yeah, I'm fine..."

However, Ash sensed that the brown-haired Performer wasn't doing fine as she said. He did not want to provoke her any further, though; he had already seen enough unexplained tension from Serena, Misty, and Dawn. So, he looked across his shoulder, towards Clemont, who still looked distant.

"How about you, Clemont?" he asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine..." replied the aspiring inventor absentmindedly. He wasn't staring at Serena and Calem like Shauna was, but instead, he seemed to be staring off into the distance, as if something was bothering him. However, before Ash could ponder all of these mysterious emotions that were surrounding him...

"Watch out, watch out, WATCH OUT!"

Ash, Serena, Shauna, Calem, and Clemont stopped and looked to their right. They saw a blur of orange and white, topped with a hint of green, barreling past several crowds of tourists at high speeds, towards Ash. As Pikachu screamed and Ash flinched, the latter couldn't help but feel that he saw this scenario before somewhere-

**"HEY, WATCH OUT- OOF!"**

The blur suddenly tripped on something and collided into Ash, sending him falling into a conveniently-placed tub full of cold water. Serena gasped in concern.

"ASH!" she shrieked as she grabbed her crush's hand. "Ash, are you all right?!"

Serena felt Ash's grip on her hand tighten, causing her to blush. However, she quickly shrugged it off as she pulled him out of the water.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ash replied. "Ah-CHOO!"

"Pika-CHU!" Pikachu sneezed as well.

* * *

Serena felt the heat rush to her face as Ash removed his soaked shirt to squeeze the water out of it and into the bucket Calem placed near him. Her eyes scanned his body, which caused even more heat to rush to her face. His exposed torso sported a good amount of muscle accumulated from his many years of traveling; it was not a lot of muscle one could see on bodybuilders (she wasn't into that amount anyway), but the muscle definitely wasn't scarce or unnoticeable either. Plus, his skin was colored in a considerable tan that, combined with the water, allowed it to gleam with the sunlight in a fascinating way.

"Can't say I'm surprised to see Ash pretty cut," a voice said, causing Serena to become red with anger. Sitting beside her was Misty, who too was scanning Ash's body slowly. Also sitting beside her were May, who had just returned from her tiny lesson with Bonnie; and Dawn, whose face was the reddest out of all of the other girls. It made the honey-haired Trainer want to explode, having to share this little show with her three other rivals. Speaking of which...

Serena glanced at Shauna, hoping her rival hadn't noticed Ash's toned body and subsequently taken more than a friendly liking to him. Fortunately, she seemed to be more focused on Calem, who was wiping Ash's Badge case. This fact caused her to sigh in relief; she definitely didn't want to see Shauna as a potential enemy...

And then, there was Bianca, the girl who knocked Ash into the tub of water. Unfortunately, she was inches away from Ash, bowing repeatedly like she was doing some sort of new exercise, chanting, "I'm sorry, I'm so, so, so, so sorry, Ash, is there anything I can do to make it up to you?!" Serena knew she may be trouble...

Finally, after Bianca's umpteenth apology, Ash chuckled after setting down his shirt on the nearby table and looked at her.

"There's no need to apologize to me, Bianca," he said, smiling. "It's all fine."

"What?" Bianca's eyes widened in relief. "_Really_?"

"Of course! It really doesn't surprise me that we met up in this way again."

"Oh, thank goodness!" The blonde Trainer clapped her hands together in pleasure. "I didn't want our reunion to go down this embarrassingly!"

"It's good to see you again, Bianca," greeted Cilan as he started drying Ash's shirt. "You're here for the PWT too?"

"Of course! And I'm in it to win it!"

Ash chuckled. "Well, you've got me to face, then! 'Cause I'm participating in the PWT too!"

"Well-" Bianca's eyes narrowed as a determined smile came onto her face. "-may be the best Trainer win!"

Serena sighed in relief upon hearing this exchange between the two Trainers. Watching Ash and Bianca interact with each other, it sounded as if Bianca had absolutely no interest in her crush beyond that of a friendly rivalry. Of course, she could not be too sure of that, but it didn't make much sense for an energetic girl like Bianca to act the way she does around Ash. Serena had to assume, right now, that Bianca's relationship with Ash was that of a friendly rivalry, and hopefully nothing more.

It really relieved her to know this. She didn't want to have any more rivals for Ash's attention than she already had-

"Ash?" a female voice asked. "Ash _Ketchum_?!"

"Oh my Arceus, Ash!" squealed another female voice.

"It IS him!" a third female voice cried happily. "I knew it, I could feel it in my heart!"

"H-Hey, Ash," greeted a fourth female voice timidly. "O-Over here!"

Serena, Misty, May, and Dawn watched in distress as four girls ran over towards Ash, some of them nearly knocking Calem and Cilan aside in the process. Serena had an odd feeling that the girls were attracted to him through the absence of his shirt. To her grief, Ash's eyes widened as soon as he recognized all four of them.

"My goodness, more familiar faces!" he cried, smiling. "Melody, Macy, Anabel, Angie! It's so good to see you all!"

Melody hadn't changed much since Ash last saw her in the Orange Islands, and she was wearing the clothes she wore during the Shamouti Island Festival. Macy had grown taller and thinner since Ash last saw her, and her hair was no longer tied in twin ponytails, instead flowing down to her shoulders. Anabel's purple hair, once a bit short enough to fool Ash into thinking she was actually a boy, had grown much longer and was flowing down from her shoulders, which were now exposed, thanks to the sleeveless shirt she was wearing. Angie hadn't changed outside of a new wardrobe of a red shirt, a maroon waistcoat, and green shorts.

"It's good to see you too, Ash!" Anabel exclaimed, pushing the other three girls aside. "So, how's it been? I heard you were about to be a Frontier Brain! How come-"

However, the Salon Maiden was cut off when Melody pushed her away roughly. "Hey, I was about to speak first, little missy!" she snapped. "One at a time, you know!" Then, looking at Ash, she smiled warmly. "O Chosen One, it is a great pleasure to reunite with you. How about we mark this second encounter with a kiss?"

Serena, Misty, May, Dawn, Macy, Anabel, and Angie all screamed in horror as Melody kissed Ash in the cheek. Macy recovered first and seized Melody.

"HEY!" the Fire-type enthusiast snarled. "What do ya think you're doing?!"

"Who do you think you are, grabbing me like that?!" exclaimed Melody.

"Why would you do that to him, _little missy_?!" Anabel growled as she stepped up to Melody. "Especially when _I_ was about to-"

"YOU WERE ABOUT TO WHAT?!" Angie screamed in surprise.

"What is going on?" Ash asked, looking back and forth between all four girls. "Why're you guys fighting all of a sudden-?"

"ZIP IT!" Melody, Macy, Anabel, and Angie shouted at him simultaneously.

"DON'T TELL HIM TO ZIP IT!" screamed Serena, Misty, May, and Dawn at once.

All eight girls immediately glared at one another threateningly, like predators at a crossroads. The rest of the group sweat-dropped at the awkward sight.

"Is it just me," Brock said, "or am I feeling a little _jealous_?..."

"Probably because of something you ate, Brock," replied Cilan.

"Nope, definitely not that," Calem piped seriously. "_Definitely_ not that..."

Max merely sighed and shook his head.

All the while, no one noticed the meek, almost sad expression etched on Bianca's face as she watched the eight girls stare each other down.

* * *

Clemont walked across the festival grounds, deep in his thoughts as he carried a couple of plates of food. Ever since Ash had to return to the group with the others to dry off his clothes, the inventor had volunteered to get the extra food for them. And, as he walked over to one of the food stalls, he saw May and Bonnie walking back towards the others, Bonnie looking extremely pleased at being in May's company. Since then, that scene was glued to the forefront of his mind.

He never recalled Bonnie being outwardly proud to be in _his_ company. In fact, she never was, in the seven years of her life. Even when they started traveling with Ash and Serena, she never declared her pride in her brother, not even once. Every time he looked at her, she was always looking up to Ash or Serena, as if they were her older siblings and not him. Sure, the two had some nice sibling-bonding moments, but Clemont knew that something was always missing between them. And he knew what exactly that missing piece of the puzzle was: her pride in him as an older brother, and his pride in her as a younger sister too.

Yes, he was never outwardly proud of Bonnie being in _his_ company too. Every time they came across some woman, she would embarrass him in front of Ash, Serena, and everyone else around them by 'proposing' to the woman for him. Bonnie kept saying that he needed someone to take care of him. Like he needed taking care of! He questioned himself more than once about the exact thoughts that raced in his little sister's mind every time she did that to him.

...

Then again, Clemont realized he was never really confident about anything. Not once had he legitimately muster the same kind of courage Ash had, or the same kind of optimism. Maybe that was why Bonnie looked up to him like an older brother. Maybe that was why she said he needed someone to take care of him...

Because he was a coward, unlike Ash... Maybe that was why Bonnie was never proud to be with him...

He really did try to learn courage and strength from Ash, just like he declared all those months ago, but all the aspiring inventor could ever learn from his experiences with Ash was the dangers of the outside world. He could never stand up to them. Not in the same way Ash would. All he could do was rely on him to solve things.

It was definitely no wonder...

He sighed softly. "I can never be good enough for anything..." he whispered to himself.

Just then, the aspiring inventor suddenly heard several people growling rather viciously, which snapped him out of his thoughts. Looking up, Clemont spotted Ash and the others in a rather awkward scene. Serena, Misty, May, and Dawn were in a circle, staring down each other and four other girls he didn't recognize. Glancing at Ash and seeing how flustered he was out of all the others, however, the inventor knew it had something to do with him. He saw how Serena, Misty, May, and Dawn looked towards him, the identical glimmers in their eyes. It was definitely recognizable from even a mile away to him.

And he wished he would get this kind of attention too...from her...

Clemont blinked and shook his head as he approached the scene.

"H-He-Hey, ev-everyone..." he stuttered, not wanting to incur the girls' wrath. "I-I got the f-food..."

The eight girls all glared at him, a fiery aura burning around them.

* * *

Ash chuckled as Cilan cautiously applied a small bag of ice on Clemont's swelling head. He felt bad for his friend, but watching the girls startle the inventor and cause him to fall over on his head was admittedly a little _comical_, as much as he did not want to savor his friend's suffering. Then, he looked at all of his friends, who looked uncomfortable and tense as they looked at each other. He wished he knew what Serena and the others were thinking right now from their strange, erratic behaviors...

Suddenly, he felt it again. That supernatural presence from the Pokémon Center at Route 13, and the Magenta Plaza.

Looking around, it didn't take long for Ash to spot the girl this time. Like the last two times, she was mingling among the crowd of people, almost indistinguishable in the masses, although he could clearly see her eerie smile. He wanted to go to her, but he felt as if some magnetic force was holding him back. The girl was just there, standing still as everyone else walked by her in multiple directions, taunting him with that unnerving grin of hers. Did he know this girl from somewhere?...

"Ash?" a voice asked in the distance. "Ash, are you okay?"

Ash shook his head and looked at Serena. "Huh, what?" he replied in confusion.

"You were spacing out again," the honey-haired Trainer said. "Is something on your mind?"

The black-haired Trainer glanced back at the direction where he saw the strange girl. However, she was gone, just as usual.

"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked, hopping on his friend's lap and tilting his head in confusion. Looking down at the Mouse Pokémon, Ash smiled and stroked his friend's head.

"I'm fine, Serena, Pikachu," he said. "I was just thinking about the PWT, that's all."

"You remember what Brock said, Ash!" exclaimed Serena, wagging a finger at him. "You mustn't get so pumped up about the PWT when it's just two weeks away."

"Yeah, you're right." Ash chuckled nervously. "I forgot about that. Thanks for reminding me, Serena."

The honey-haired girl blushed, then glared at the other girls to see if they were listening their conversation. Fortunately, they, along with everyone else at their table, was so engrossed in their food that no one was paying attention. With that, Serena let out a small, almost inaudible sigh of relief as she looked back at Ash.

"You're welcome."

She then flashed a smile at him, which somehow caused Ash's heart to feel warmer than usual. He ignored the feeling, however, and smiled back at her.

_**"How impressive..."**_

* * *

_"There's always a beginning to everything. We believe the PWT will be the beginning for world peace. In the words of some passage that I can't remember, it'll be like another **world's beginning**."_

–Hilda White, BW Agency President, during an interview about the Pokémon World Tournament

* * *

**Next time on "Judgment's Fall"**

**Diancie:** The Sun is so bright...

**Ash:** Remember this, Tepig mustn't let his fear hold him back!

**Hilbert:** Tepig! Tepig, what happened?!

**Melody:** I guess Ash is just a good-luck charm for people in need

**Lucas:** I've heard a lot about you..._Dawn_.

**Shauna:** Serena, it's important that you _know_ what you wish to do in life.

**Adam:** What can I say? I'm a scary guy.

**Chapter 6: Daunting Dance with the Devil**

* * *

**A/N:** Welp, according to the word count, this is the story's shortest chapter yet, at 8,000 words. :P

Anyway, obviously nothing much is happening. Just more re-introductions, the sparking of rivalries, and a harem forming around Ash. XD Anyway, sorry if the pace is being dragged out right now; we're not gonna be seeing action until another couple of chapters. Till then, be prepared for even more characters!

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

**ajani's apprentice:** Yes, J has returned! And she'll be even more deadlier than ever! And yes, we've seen a (sorta) cat-fight between the girls. XD

**Guest reviewer #1:** I'm hanging in there right now, no need to worry! :D

**Gyga (guest reviewer):** I'm glad to hear you're liking my treatment of the Syndicate and all of its members! It means a lot to me; I take writing my bad guys down pretty seriously. :) And congratulations, the run-in has resulted in a stripping from Ash! XD As for your Barry-Bianca idea, I haven't put much thought into it, nor do I think I'll be able to incorporate it into the story. Maybe? We'll see. As for my Paul-Trip scenario, that won't be till later, and that is if I actually _remember_ it.

**thor94:** If you're gonna spend a majority of your reviews talking about Ash's strength in the anime, quit it now. I need you to focus your reviews on the chapters I'm releasing right now, since I need as much feedback on my chapters as I can, and I don't wanna spend my time following up on a conversation in the review box. Long story short, Ash will become stronger later on in the story, he will do some serious ownage, and hopefully he won't disappoint you. DONE.

**Guest reviewer #2:** Yes, Primeape and all of Ash's other Pokémon will make an appearance in the story, in vital roles nonetheless. But now. You'll have to wait.

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	8. Daunting Dance with the Devil

**A/N:** OMG, DID YOU SEE THE NEW EPISODE THAT JUST CAME OUT IN JAPAN?! If you didn't, I'm not gonna share you the specific details. However, for all you Serena fans out there, I recommend watching it! It was simply awesome! I especially can't believe what happened at the end!

Because of the latest developments that came out of the episode, I have decided to incorporate them into the story as a late addition. They're minor, but I think they will serve an impact for my Serena storyline. When I'm done with this chapter, I'm gonna edit the previous chapters so they can reflect what just happened. You guys prepare yourselves for spoilers on that new episode, for they will be present in this chapter and the previous chapters as well!

Alright, all that aside, on with the new chapter. ENJOY!

* * *

**Lysandre Café  
****Magenta Plaza**

Diancie longingly stared out of the window and into the clear blue sky, her red eyes shimmering with emotion as she gazed upon the beautiful Lumiose City. She could remember hearing about it from her friends Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie, but she never really imagined that the city would be _this_ magnificent, especially in the bright sunlight. She hated to admit it, but she thought that Lumiose City looked even more beautiful than the Diamond Domain.

"The Sun is so bright..." she whispered to herself as she gazed at the distant but ever-so-bright Sun.

Then, the princess looked down and gazed at the walkway below. Since she was standing on the second floor of the café, which was inaccessible to anyone except for herself, her Carbink servants, and high-ranking Team Flare members, Diancie was in a good position to watch people as they walked past the building. Every time her eyes focused on one person in particular, she began to wonder what it was like to live as a human, not as a Pokémon...

Looking down at her newly-acquired human hands, Diancie felt her eyes soften at the sight of them. Now that she was thinking about how to be human, she began to wonder if this was her perfect opportunity to find out for herself. After all, she got a good taste of their lifestyle thanks to Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie. Now, she sorely desired to live the life that always interested her, the life of a human. Unfortunately, she knew her efforts would be met with disapproval from certain people...

"Princess Diane!" a voice called.

Diancie turned around and saw Merrick walking towards her. Like her, he had been given a human form of his own. Now, he had a balding head with a row of sky-blue hair at the center, along with sky-blue eyes to match. He was wearing a gray suit, a silver undershirt with a large and spiky white collar, and sky-blue pants.

"Don't you mean Diancie, Merrick?" replied the princess questioningly.

"No, I mean Diane, Princess," Merrick said, frowning. "Remember, these men gave us these new disguises and identities for a reason! We're being hunted!"

"I'm well aware of that, Merrick. I was just wondering... Aren't the new names a little _too much_?"

"How do you think a human will react if you introduce yourself as Princess Diancie?" When Diancie was silent, the small servant stuck his chin up stubbornly. "Exactly. Now, come along, Princess." He turned around and began walking towards the nearby stairs. "Lysandre, Xerosic, and the others are waiting for us in the labulatory."

"Laboratory, Merrick," corrected Diancie.

Merrick rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Come on, before someone sees you up there!"

Diancie sighed, but found herself no other choice. So, she followed Merrick down the staircase and onto the first floor, where the proper café was. Fortunately for her, it wasn't opening hours yet, and the café was completely devoid of any customers or employees. However, she couldn't help but wished it were...

The two approached a china cabinet, and Merrick moved one of the plates to the back. The cabinet promptly opened up as a set of doors, revealing another staircase, much larger this time. Diancie and Merrick went down the staircase, just a minute before the cabinet automatically shut itself and moved back to its original position. As soon as the two of them entered the Lysandre Labs, they spotted a group of people standing at the center of the laboratory. Diancie recognized them as Lysandre; his second-in-commands Xerosic, Bryony, and Mable; and her other servants Knight, Joke, and Dace. Lysandre quickly noticed their presence.

"Ah, Diancie, Merrick," he said, smiling. "Good to see both of you are here." The red-haired man turned towards another direction. "Celosia, let's get started."

The princess followed Lysandre's gaze and saw he was staring at another one of his second-in-commands, Celosia. She seemed to be operating a high-tech laptop.

"Yes, sir," the purple-haired scientist replied, still looking at the laptop. "I finished the last touches in Diancie's new identity. No one shall know Princess Diane existed for only a couple of weeks. In all of the databases, she was born seventeen years ago and is the princess of a secluded kingdom in the faraway Proxia region. She had decided to visit the Pokémon World Tournament with the hope that her kingdom will learn to assimilate with the rest of the world, and her father, the king, reluctantly voiced his approval, but she's under close watch by her guards, which would be Merrick, Knight, Joke, and Dace."

Lysandre nodded. "Excellent, Celosia." He turned to Diancie. "Did you get all of that, Princess Diane?"

Diancie blinked, then replied softly, "Yeah."

"Good. There will be an exhibition performance for the PWT in a couple of days. We've secured a seat for you as a special guest. Hope you're up for it."

* * *

**Chapter 6: Daunting Dance with the Devil**

* * *

**The Pokémon World Festival  
The Prism Tower**

"Your shirt should be dry now," Brock announced as he handed over Ash's shirt.

"Thanks," the black-haired Trainer replied as he put the shirt back on him, failing to notice the disappointed looks on all of the girls as he did so.

Several minutes had passed since the standoff between Serena, Misty, May, Dawn, Melody, Macy, Anabel, and Angie. Now, all eight girls finally calmed down and were beginning to get along again, although everyone else could tell there was a tense air between all of them. Since that time, the expanding group got another table for themselves, and they spent the following minutes engaged in more conversation, giving Ash the opportunity to learn more about those who just joined in.

Melody spent the last six years being the Festival Maiden for the Shamouti Island Festival, as expected of her. While she got pretty comfortable with the role, after the incident with Lugia and the warring Legendary Birds, she admitted she never liked all of the other Chosen Ones that followed Ash. Naturally, of course, this drew very agitated reactions from the other girls, but they managed to keep it subtle enough so that only Melody would notice. Her reasoning for coming to Lumiose City was to promote the Shamouti Island Festival, which was one of the Orange Islands' well-known traditions and was allowed to be entered as a side-offer for the PWT.

Macy competed in several Leagues all around the world following the conclusion of the Johto League. Naturally, she never won any, but she was progressively getting closer and closer to reaching that. During her last League, she managed to get into the Top 4 before being eliminated, courtesy of a Water-type specialist.

Anabel had become the highest-ranking member of the Kanto Battle Frontier two years ago after Brandon announced his retirement due to his commitment to protect Regigigas and the Snowpoint Temple. Since then, she had been accumulating a greater number of victories against challengers.

After the Lickilicky incident, Angie's parents' Day Care center became even more well-known among the community, and lots of recommendations were piling in, even for top celebrities such as members of the Sinnoh Elite Four. Because of that, the Day Care center was invited by the BW Agency to temporarily move its operations to Lumiose City so it could aid the Nurse Joys in caring for injured Pokémon. And so, Angie found herself coming along with her parents, much to her reluctance. She did not want to travel to a faraway region that she had never been to before, and as a result, her first couple of days were an uncomfortable and boring experience.

"That is, until I met up with you again, Ash!" Angie exclaimed, finishing her story. "That's when Lumiose City got really interesting!"

"I'm glad I could make Lumiose City interesting for you, I guess," replied Ash, smiling nervously. He hadn't understood the implication of Angie's words.

"You know," Melody said, "it actually doesn't surprise me that you'd be here in Lumiose, Ash. Of course you had to be here for the PWT, the greatest challenge yet for any Trainer across the planet." She shrugged in mock-boredom. "I guess I should've seen that coming from a mile away."

"So, what have you been up to?" asked Anabel. "I heard you beat Brandon, but you never became a Frontier Brain. Why didn't you? You would've been great!"

"Yeah, why didn't you, Ash?" Bonnie asked, her eyes wide in curiosity.

"Well, it would've sounded nice," Ash replied. "Being a Frontier Brain and all. But that meant I wouldn't travel around the world anymore. I wouldn't get to see all the cool places and Pokémon the world has to offer! I wanted to see the world and conquer everything that was there! Sitting around in one place and having to battle all sorts of challengers would've been very boring for me. Where's the adventure in that?" He shook his head. "No, being a Frontier Brain isn't for me."

"I should've known," Anabel said. "When I read your heart, I could tell it was different. What I didn't know is how different it would actually be."

"...You meant that as a compliment, right?"

"Of course I did! Yes, you may be brash and full of yourself at times-"

"Oh, joy," Ash sarcastically remarked.

"-But you make up for it through your compassion for others, be it people or Pokémon. You also never give up, despite the circumstances."

"Of course!" Ash held a clenched fist to his heart. "Never give up till the end, as I always say!"

Serena felt her heart flutter upon hearing those six words. Hearing Ash say them again made her feel all warm inside, since she was the one who reminded him about the words that were so important to her. However, she remembered the words were for Anabel, not her, and she felt her heart plunge to her stomach.

_"Of course he wouldn't be talking to _me_,"_ she thought. _"He's got catching up to do with his _other _friends..."_

"Those are some pretty deep words, man," Calem remarked. "Never give up till the end." He nodded approvingly. "I like it."

"Thanks," Ash replied, smiling. "Those were my mom's words, actually. She said those to me when I was young."

"Really?" asked Misty. "I've known Ash's mom for several years now and I just can't imagine her saying those kinds of words."

"Well, she's smart when it comes to it, Misty. Besides, she could've-"

"Hey, guys!" a voice interrupted. Everyone looked up to see a disguised Hilbert approaching their table.

"Hilbert!" greeted Ash.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried happily.

"Hey, Ash!" Hilbert replied, smiling. "Good to see you! Sorry I'm late! Hilda was really on my butt about something and I had to get it done so she can get off my case about it. Man, I thought-" Then, he stopped upon seeing all of the extra additions to the group. "Whoa, I thought there'd be way less than this..."

"Hilbert, these are some more of our friends. Guys, meet Hilbert."

"Hilbert?" Angie asked.

"As in Hilbert _Black_?" asked Anabel, her eyes widening.

"Uh..." Hilbert replied, smiling innocently. "Hi..."

"Oh my Arceus!" shrieked Melody, startling everyone at the table and anyone else nearby. "It's Hilbert Bl- MMPH!"

Hilbert had dashed forward to cover Melody's mouth. "Please, don't say anything! I don't wanna get swarmed by fans and reporters right now; I'm not in the mood!"

"Yeah, Melody," said Brock. "He's trying to avoid publicity for the day."

Melody looked at Brock, then at Ash, who nodded at her in agreement. Upon seeing his approval, she nodded back at him, allowing Hilbert to let go of her mouth with a relieved sigh. Serena, meanwhile, had to restrain herself from doing something stupid. After all, she could not bear the thought of having to watch Melody having to seek some sort of approval from Ash first before she could make a decision. Who in the world did that girl think she was? A submissive girlfriend?!

"Have a seat, Hilbert!" Ash exclaimed, making room between himself and Brock.

The BW Agency President beamed at the invitation. "Okay!"

Hilbert immediately went over to the other side of the table and sat between Ash and Brock. At that moment, Serena's eyes locked with Hilbert's, and she was rather surprised to see him flick his head in the other direction, a faint blush coming on his cheeks. She raised an eyebrow at the reaction, but before she could look into it...

"Hey, I'm back with more food..." a voice groaned.

Everyone looked up and saw Clemont approaching the table, holding additional plates of food in his hands with some difficulty. He had to activate his Aipom Arm so it could carry some extra dishes for him. Ash, Brock, Cilan, and Calem took the plates from the inventor's hands, while Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor took the plates from the Aipom Arm, before both groups dispersed the plates around the table in accordance to which food was ordered by which person.

Once everything was set up and everyone was seated, Brock stood up and tapped his spoon onto the table, catching everyone's attention.

"Well, we're all gathered here today," he announced. "Some people unfortunately couldn't make it, others were unexpected additions. But there is one thing we have in common, and it happens to be this person right here." He pointed at Ash, whose eyes widened in surprise. "Ash Ketchum."

"Me?" Ash replied.

"Pika?" added Pikachu.

"Of course you! It is because of you we all know each other in some way! You're the one who links us together, Ash, and we thank you for that. If it were not for that simple fact, barely any of us would still know each other! However, we do now, and we are all good friends. ...If we set aside some weird and unexplained tensions, of course." Serena, Misty, May, Dawn, Melody, Macy, Anabel, Angie, and Bianca blushed in shame and embarrassment at that remark. "That aside, the reason I'm saying this, right now, is because I believe this, all of this, could be the start of something new and absolutely wonderful.

"We're all different in some way. Some of us have a strong love for only one type, like Water or Fire. Some of us have different goals, like Breeder or Coordinator. We obviously come from various parts of the world, where the cultures are distinctly different. However, we are all here, getting along with one another and not bickering among each other over petty things. For the most part." Again, the girls, sans Shauna and Bonnie, all blushed, ashamed of their actions. "And we're all here because of this very tournament, the Pokémon World Tournament, which promotes world peace and multiculturalism by bringing together different regions, different cultures!

"We could've chosen not to come. We could've done something else to pass the time. However, we didn't. We chose to come here. And from what I've seen and heard from everyone seated at this table, and most likely from anyone else that we know who we might come across, we chose to be here...because of our experiences with this Trainer." He pointed at Ash. "Ash Ketchum. Thanks to his influence, we were motivated to pursue the next big challenge, to test ourselves!

"I know that for sure, because when I first met Ash, I was the Gym Leader of the Pewter City Gym. I had a big responsibility to fulfill: accept challenges from up-and-coming Trainers, battle them, their Pokémon, and either send them leaving with a Badge or in tears and knowledge. In my spare time, I had another big responsibility to fulfill: take care of my little brothers and sisters, all nine of them. I thought I would never be able to fulfill my dream of becoming a Pokémon Breeder.

"But one day, when Ash challenged me, I saw something in him that no one else had seen at the time... That part of his spirit was what motivated me to pour out my inner desires to him, and that gave me all the leeway I needed to join him on his journey. That, and the fact that my father returned to take over.

"While I never became a Pokémon Breeder in the end, I did find another goal to pursue: a Pokémon Doctor." A grin appeared on Brock's face. "I'm close to achieving it now. I also have a desire to take on new adventures and new challenges. There wasn't anything in my way that I definitely could not handle. And it was all because of my adventures with Ash. And I'm sure all of you had gone through some sort of experience like that. There is no denying it."

Everyone was silent as they took in Brock's words and found that they all agreed in some way...with the exceptions of Clemont and Hilbert.

Brock continued, as he raised his plastic cup, "And it is from that inspiration that we are all here today, getting along despite our differences. From where I'm standing at this very table, I think it is _Ash_ who is the true Pokémon World Tournament. So..." He pointed his cup at Ash's direction. "To Ash Ketchum!"

"To Ash Ketchum!" everyone chanted, raising their own cups.

All Ash could do was smile in complete embarrassment.

* * *

From a short distance away, Paul watched the group in silence as they made their toast. He completed his training a couple of minutes ago, and he had decided to cut through the Pokémon World Festival to reach his hotel. That was when he spotted Ash and his large group of friends seated at the table.

Overhearing Brock's speech in its entirety, Paul knew he had to agree with the Pokémon Doctor. However, he knew better than to voice it. He didn't want to waste his time pouring out emotional sentiments to the interesting rival of his that he met back in the Sinnoh region two years ago.

All he could do was nod subtly in agreement, turn his back on the group, and walk away without a single word.

* * *

As everyone ate their food, drank from their cups, and talked among each other, Ash felt someone tap his shoulder. Looking at his side, he saw Hilbert looking at him.

"Hey, Ash?" the president asked.

"Yeah, Hilbert?" replied Ash as he took a bite of meat.

"Remember the promise you gave me yesterday? To help me train Tepig so he can be used to Flame Charge?"

Ash's auburn eyes widened as he remembered the promise. "Oh, yeah! I nearly forgot about that!" He flashed him a thumbs-up. "Of course! Let's do it right now!"

Hilbert's eyes widened too, but in surprise. "R-Ri-Right _now_?..." he replied, taken aback.

"Of course! If you want to become a Pokémon Trainer, then the first thing you need to know is how to train Pokémon! It's now or never, Hilbert."

The teenage boy looked into his friend's eyes, which were flashing with determination. He remembered the time he met Ash a couple of days ago, during that fateful night. Hilbert never imagined he'd come across someone who would be as caring, compassionate, and sympathetic as Ash. Now that he did, he wasn't surprised that all of Ash's friends would look up to him in admiration and be influenced by his positive and uplifting behavior...

He nodded. "Alright. Let's do it!"

Ash smiled at him. "That's the spirit, Hilbert!"

"Pika pika!" added Pikachu excitedly.

* * *

**The battlefield  
Eastern Lumiose City**

Ash and Hilbert stood on the same battlefield where they tried to have a battle before Team Rocket intervened. Pikachu was perched on Ash's shoulder, while a scared Tepig was standing a yard away from Hilbert, nervously staring down the battlefield. Beads of sweat were dripping down from its furry skin and onto the dirty ground. Situated several yards away from Tepig was a number of obstacles of various types, such as a large rock, targets placed at different heights, a limbo pole, and a small ramp. Brock was standing at the side to oversee the training session. Everyone else was sitting at the sidelines, watching the entire thing progress with interest.

"Alright, Hilbert," said Ash. "You ready for this?"

Hilbert stared at Tepig and noticed that the Fire Pig Pokémon was trembling noticeably. Gulping, he suddenly became unsure of himself again. What if Tepig had some sort of severe panic attack? What if it hurt itself again while trying to use Flame Charge, or at the very least get spooked by the fire engulfing it? His fingers suddenly twitched towards one of his side-pockets; he was beginning to consider calling over one of the Nurse Joys to oversee the entire thing and be on standby...

"Hilbert?"

The BW Agency President flicked his head at Ash, who was staring at him curiously.

"Huh?" Hilbert replied, startled. "Wh-What?"

"I asked if you were ready for this?"

"Yes." Hilbert cleared his throat and made a determined fist. "Yeah, I'm ready for this!"

Ash chuckled. "That's the spirit, Hilbert!" He returned the fist with a thumbs-up before looking at Tepig. "But Tepig sure doesn't look ready for this."

Hilbert looked back at Tepig and saw the Fire Pig Pokémon had laid its stomach down on the ground. It was still trembling, even more noticeably so.

"Tepig?" he asked. "Tepig, you okay?"

"Pika pika?" added Pikachu.

"Tepig..." Tepig replied softly.

"Aw, man," said Hilbert, placing a hand over his forehead. "I don't know if I should do this. Tepig's obviously too overwhelmed by this-"

"No, you and Tepig CAN do this," Ash interrupted as he placed a hand on his newfound friend's shoulder. "Remember this, Tepig mustn't let his fear hold him back! It may only make things worse for him. This could be his only chance at conquering his fears of Flame Charge. If he does not take that chance to do what his heart tells him to do and not his brain, then maybe he never will find another opportunity to do so." His eyes narrowed. "His dreams will never be fulfilled in the end!"

Upon overhearing this, Tepig's eyes widened in shock. Standing up with some reluctance, it then snorted out small flames from its nostrils, briefly scorching the earth.

"Whoa, Tepig!" exclaimed Hilbert, surprised by the new burst of energy within Tepig.

"Looks like Tepig's pumped and all ready to go!" Ash replied, patting Hilbert in the back. "Now, let's see how Tepig usually does his Flame Charge. Tell him to use it!"

"Okay." Hilbert pointed at the large rock. "Tepig, use Flame Charge on that rock!"

"TEPIG!" Tepig roared as it snorted out flames again. This time, the flames were larger, and they encompassed the Fire Pig Pokémon's entire body. With a loud cry of determination, it dashed forward towards the rock, streaking flames behind it. Everyone watched it speed by, impressed so far.

"It's doing fine, Hilbert," Ash remarked, smiling and nodding approvingly. "I don't see why-"

"Just watch," interrupted Hilbert with disappointment.

Indeed, Tepig suddenly starting yelling in fear and changed course, running around the battlefield repeatedly in circles. The flames still enveloped its body.

"Oh, no!" Dawn cried. "Piplup, use Bubble Beam to put out the fire on Tepig!"

"Piplup!" replied Piplup, hopping off its Trainer's lap and firing a stream of bubbles at Tepig's direction. They hit their target, putting out the fire without injuring Tepig.

"Tepig!" Hilbert cried in concern as the Fire Pig Pokémon collapsed to the ground, crying. "Tepig, what happened?!"

"Tepig tepig tepig!" sobbed the Fire Pig Pokémon.

"Aw man, that's not good," said Ash as he approached the two. "I wonder what went wrong?" He glanced at Brock. "Brock, did you see anything unusual?"

"Not anything that caught my eye," the Pokémon Doctor replied.

"But Tepig was running around too fast!" Bonnie exclaimed. "We need to catch him in slow-mo!"

"Like we can be able to do that," replied Max, crossing his arms smugly.

Bonnie glared at Max, her cheeks puffed out. "Uh-huh!"

"Dedenne!" added Dedenne in agreement.

"Really. And how exactly are we gonna be able to watch the whole thing in slow-motion? Have someone use their superpowers to slow down time? I don't think so!"

Bonnie frowned angrily, as did Dedenne. She really wasn't liking this older boy. He seemed to be too full of himself for her liking. And to think, he was supposed to be May's younger brother. She thought the two of them could get along just like she did with May, but never before had she met a polar opposite.

"We can make a video and then play it in slow-mo!" she suggested forcefully.

"And does anyone have a camera?" Max adjusted his eyeglasses. "Do _you_ have a camera somewhere in that fanny-pack of yours? OW!"

Max reeled forward, clutching the back of his head as it swelled. May was still holding up her clenched fist, a disappointed expression on her face.

"Be quiet, Max," the Top Coordinator said. "You're upsetting Bonnie."

"Thank you, May!" Bonnie replied, smiling toothily.

"But he's right, though. None of us have a camera." May stood up. "I'll go buy us a camera-"

"That won't be necessary!" a voice interrupted.

Everyone looked to the side and saw a boy around Max's age running up to them. He had brown hair that fell down to his ears and bright blue eyes. He was wearing a gray shirt with rolled-up sleeves, brown cargo pants with shoulder-straps, white high-rising socks, brown shoes, and circular glasses. Running beside him was a...

"Zorua?" Hilbert asked, confused.

"Luke!" Ash cried, recognizing his friend. "You're here!"

"Yep, fancy seeing you here, Ash!" Luke replied as he approached Ash. "I came to Lumiose City to make a film about the PWT! I saw you guys at the table back at the Pokémon World Festival, but I lost track of you before I could say hello! So, I heard you guys wanted a camera?" He raised his camera. "'Cause mine's ready for use!"

"Thanks, Luke!" Ash took the camera from Luke's hands. "You're a lifesaver, man!"

Luke nodded, then spotted at Hilbert. "W-Wait a minute... You can't possibly be Hilbert Black, President of the BW Agency! ...Are you?"

"Maybe..." Hilbert replied nervously.

However, the aspiring filmmaker let out a yell of excitement. "Oh my Arceus! It HAS to be you! There can't be POSSIBLY be someone who looks exactly like you!" He pulled out a notepad from his paper and tried handing it over to Hilbert, who was now blushing in embarrassment. "Can I have your autograph? Please? It'd-"

"Uh, Luke?" Ash interrupted.

Luke glanced at Ash. "Huh?"

"We're helping him out on something, and he's not in the mood for autographs or anything like that."

"Oh." Luke looked down at his notepad, and his eyes widened in surprise. "Oh!" He stuffed away the notepad back into his pocket. "Oh, I'm so, so sorry..."

"Eh, it's okay," Hilbert replied courteously, smiling slightly. "I get that all the time. Now, let's do it again, Ash?"

Within a few minutes, Hilbert had Tepig use Flame Charge again, and as expected, they were met with the same worrying results. This time, however, Brock was able to record the incident on videotape using Luke's camera. Meanwhile, Luke and his Zorua were introduced to Ash's other friends, and Cilan filled him in on their current objective. Needless to say, Luke was initially confused by Hilbert's dissatisfaction as BW Agency President, then became enthusiastic about Hilbert's new goal.

As for Zorua, she had taken a joy in upsetting Dawn by turning into her.

"Hey, don't you dare change into me!" the blue-haired Coordinator shrieked as Piplup's eyes widened in horror. The Zorua-Dawn merely responded with a snicker.

"Alright, Ash, Hilbert!" called Brock. "I've got the whole thing recorded!"

"Okay, Brock!" replied Ash as he and Hilbert approached the aspiring Doctor, who was now rewinding the videotape. "Let's see what happened..."

As the three examined the videotape, Bonnie and Dedenne stuck out their tongues at Max. The eleven-year-old Trainer merely frowned bitterly at them.

"Alright then," Brock said, "so this is where Tepig first activates Flame Charge..." He slowed down the videotape, allowing Ash and Hilbert to watch as the flames flew out of Tepig's nostrils and enveloped its entire body. "Fast-forward, and Tepig's running smoothly. Nothing seems to be bothering it..." He resumed normal speed, and Tepig was running without hindrances of any sort. "But once Tepig gets close enough to the rock, panic sets in." The video approached the time where Tepig suddenly flew into a panic and began running around the battlefield wildly. "The same thing happened the first time we tried it out."

"I wonder why..." whispered Hilbert.

"Play the video again, Brock," Ash said.

Brock nodded and replayed the video. The three watched the recording play out to its entirety, then Brock replayed it again. Finally, Ash's eyes widened.

"Wait a minute."

"What?" Hilbert asked. "You got something?"

"Maybe," replied Ash. "Once Tepig's close enough to the rock, the Flame Charge loses its power, and yet, Tepig doesn't react. Once it gets closer, though, that's when he starts panicking." He placed a finger on his chin in thought. "Brock, play the videotape again, then slow it down on my mark."

Brock obliged and replayed the video. Once it came at a certain point, Ash raised his hand.

"Alright!" he cried, causing Brock to slow down the video. Hilbert watched as the Flame Charge indeed began losing the energy it displayed during its first moments of usage. His eyes widened in surprise, and then, he looked at Tepig closely. At first, he couldn't see what was the problem. Then, upon seeing its nose, it hit him.

"Ash?" he asked.

"Yeah?"

"You mentioned having a Tepig once, and it knew Flame Charge, right?"

"Actually, it was a Pignite when it knew Flame Charge. But I assume it's the same thing as a Tepig. Why?"

"Well, when your Pignite kept using Flame Charge, do you remember the flames always coming out of its nostrils?"

"Yeah. And because of Pignite's speed, the flames were all over its body. Not once did Pignite have a problem with the move."

Hilbert smiled. "Then I think we found the problem."

"You did?" replied Ash and Brock simultaneously.

The president nodded. "Yeah. See, for the Tepig evolution line, the Flame Charge always originates from their nostrils, since they're capable of snorting out their own flames and such. But with all of that powerful speed that goes into the Flame Charge attack, they have to keep snorting out new flames from their nostrils so they can easily leave behind that flaming streak that is Flame Charge's trademark. If they stop, then the fire can instantly be blown away by the wind."

"But if that's true," Brock replied, "then why doesn't the fire go out in Tepig's case? Why does Tepig panic?"

However, Ash's eyes widened. "I understand now!" he exclaimed. "Since Tepig rarely uses Flame Charge, its speed is slower than usual. It's still enough for it to form a decent Flame Charge. But for some reason, likely because it doesn't understand the whole thing about Flame Charge, Tepig stops snorting out new flames. And with the speed it's using, it's not fast enough, and this allows the flames to stick to its body. In a sense, once it stops snorting out fire, Tepig sets itself alight!"

"Correct," Hilbert replied.

"Tepig is setting itself on fire!" exclaimed Bonnie. "Oh, no!"

"Yeah, that _does_ make a whole lot of sense," Max remarked.

"Well done," Anabel said, catching Ash and Hilbert's attentions. "You were able to solve that on your own, and faster than I expected!"

"You KNEW about Tepig's problem, and you didn't bother to TELL us?!" Hilbert cried, outraged.

"The whole point of Pokémon training is to learn what you're doing wrong on your own, and implement your learning experiences for the future. It's great to have the help of others along the way. However, if you consistently keep relying on others to solve your problems, then you are not helping yourself."

"She's right, Hilbert," Ash added, catching Hilbert's attention. "I'm impressed. You managed to deduce what was wrong with Tepig's Flame Charge. I doubt I would be able to figure out what was happening as quickly as you. That kind of effort is a great first step towards being a great Pokémon Trainer."

"Really?" replied Hilbert, awestruck.

The raven-haired Trainer nodded. "You betcha. And now that we know the problem, let's say we fix it!"

* * *

Elsewhere near the battlefield, Nick trudged through the walkway, wearing the trench-coat, hat, and sunglasses he bought. Unfortunately for him, the bright Sun was bearing down on him with all of its heat, amplified by the thick clothing he was wearing. As a result, sweat was dripping down his entire body, almost leaving behind a noticeable trail. Clutched in his hands were more bags of food, water, and supplies, items that were demanded by Adam.

"Oh, this is _so_ hot..." Nick moaned as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Man, Adam was right. These clothes _are_ terrible for a disguise in the hot summer..."

"Tepig, use Flame Charge on that rock again!" a voice called, catching his attention.

With an exhausted groan, he glanced towards the battlefield and saw a large number of people there. All but three of them all sitting on the audience seats, watching in apparent interest. Two of the remaining three Trainers were standing directly on the battlegrounds, guiding a Tepig as it used Flame Charge. Judging by the Tepig's movements, it was presumably using that move for the first time. The third Trainer was standing at the side, likely acting as a supervisor.

As soon as everyone cheered at Tepig successfully hitting its mark, a large rock, with Flame Charge, Nick scoffed.

"What a pushover," he remarked to himself. "Adam would easily pull off that kind of move before you can say 'Uncle'!"

He was about to leave when he caught sight of one of the Trainers guiding Tepig. For some reason, the Pikachu perched on the boy's shoulders seemed a bit familiar.

"Hmmm...what do we have here?..." he muttered as he further examined the Trainer. Since the boy had his back on him, Nick didn't recognize him at first. But then... "Wait a minute, spiky black hair, red cap, Pikachu on his shoulder... Why does all of that sound familiar?" Then, he snapped his fingers as soon as a memory returned to the man's mind. "Oh my Arceus! That must be the salesman who convinced me to buy these clothes! It's GOTTA be! Oh, I'm SO gonna have a lil' talk with him!"

Nick cracked his knuckles and marched down the hill, only to trip on a rock conveniently sticking out of the ground. He tumbled down the hill and into a large bush.

* * *

"Ash never fails to amaze, as usual," Misty remarked as she continued watching. "If it weren't for him, then Hilbert probably wouldn't be making this good progress."

"I guess Ash is just a good-luck charm for people in need," replied Melody. Then, she sighed softly. "It makes me wonder what'll happen if..."

Her voice trailed off, causing Dawn to ask, "If what?"

Melody blinked. "I forgot."

Dawn blinked and raised an eyebrow at Melody, puzzled at her odd statement. She then looked to her side and saw Serena, who was equally puzzled.

"What was that all about?" she whispered to the aspiring Performer. She was only met with a shrug as a response.

The Coordinator sighed in defeat and was about to rejoin the others in watching Ash and Hilbert train Tepig when...

"Hey, when are these people gonna be done?" a voice asked.

Dawn and Serena looked to their side and saw a male Trainer standing nearby, in the shade of the trees. He had dark-blue hair and eyes as blue as theirs. The Trainer was also wearing a white short-sleeved shirt, a black jacket with a large dark-gray stripe, a long scarlet scarf, red-and-silver-striped sneakers, a yellow backpack, and a scarlet beret with a blue-and-white Poké Ball symbol at the left side of it. Dawn couldn't help but sense a strange aura around this Trainer...

"No, it's not available yet," Serena replied.

"Oh," the Trainer said, slouching slightly. "All the other battlefields are taken..." He pulled out a Poké Ball from his pocket. "I need to train my Magmortar..."

"Why don't you wait here and watch with us? I'm pretty sure we'll be done soon."

The boy blinked, then smiled. "Okay. That sounds like a fair deal." He gestured to himself. "The name's Lucas."

"Nice to meet you, Lucas. I'm Serena."

"And I'm Dawn," piped Dawn, still feeling a little curious about this new Trainer.

"Dawn?" Lucas replied, an eyebrow raised.

"...Yes, that's my name, which I told you..."

Suddenly, a new, unknown light came to Lucas's eyes. "I've heard a lot about you..._Dawn_."

The blue-haired girl's eyes widened in surprise. "You...You _do_?"

"Of course..." Then, Lucas's eyes brightened optimistically as a smile came to his face. "I saw you competing in the Wallace Cup a couple of years back! I thought you were amazing back there!" His eyes focused on May, who was still watching the battlefield. "To think, you beat the person who would later become a Top Coordinator."

"Yeah, fate sure has a funny way of making itself known..."

"Yes." The unknown emotion returned to Lucas's eyes. "Fate sure is funny, isn't it?..."

Dawn and Serena continued to sit there, surveying Lucas. Serena didn't sense anything suspicious from him, but Dawn felt otherwise. There was something about his gaze that unsettled her. She knew it was not about unwanted infatuation; one look into Lucas's eyes and she could easily cross that off. The aura she could feel from Lucas, however, seemed much greater than that. The way he looked at her and only her... Did the two of them meet somewhere before?...

Suddenly, Lucas turned around and walked away, surprising both girls.

"Hey, Lucas!" Serena called.

Lucas stopped and replied, "Yeah?"

"I thought you were gonna stay and watch with us?"

He shrugged. "It's okay. I can come back later when you guys are done."

"What if someone else takes this battlefield before you?..." asked Dawn suspiciously.

They heard a scoff escape Lucas's mouth. He turned around and looked at Dawn only.

"Then I just find a different battlefield, Dawn."

Then, he continued walking away, his hands in his pockets. Dawn continued to watch him go, wondering what this odd feeling was between herself and this Trainer...

* * *

**A couple of hours later**

"I'm so glad you helped me train Tepig, Ash," Hilbert said as he picked up the Fire Pig Pokémon in his arms.

"Hey, no problem, Hilbert!" replied Ash optimistically, flashing a thumbs-up. "So, what do you think about Pokémon training?"

"It's hard." However, the president's smile widened. "But it's also fun. I got to learn a lot more about Tepig, more than I thought I'd ever know." He looked down and smiled at Tepig, who grinned back. "It feels like I'm much closer to Tepig now. But I guess this was the point of Pokémon training in the first place..."

"Indeed, Hilbert," Brock said as he approached both Trainers. "And as you continue to train Tepig, and hopefully other Pokémon, you'll find that there is a lot more to Pokémon than just what you see in television. It is a quite big responsibility, being a Pokémon Trainer, one that can overwhelm you at times. However, as long as you have the dedication and commitment, you'll be fine in the end." He gave Hilbert a thumbs-up of his own. "You can bet on it."

Hilbert absorbed Brock's words, and his grin widened even more. With that, he gave his own thumbs-up.

"That's right, Ash, Brock!" he exclaimed. "I WILL become a Pokémon Trainer! And I'll be a great one!"

Everyone else at the sidelines exploded into a cacophony of cheering and applauding, and they flooded from their seats and all around Hilbert, giving their own pieces of advice and encouragement. The only one who remained at the sidelines was Serena, who watched in admiration as Hilbert accepted the responsibilities of a Trainer without making a second thought. She wished she had that kind of courage when she first became a Pokémon Trainer.

Her eyes softened as she looked down at the ground. She remembered how she lost her first Pokémon Showcase, and how the loss affected her greatly. Hearing Ash and Brock's words of advice, Serena began to wonder if her loss was preventable if she took more time to focus on her training prior to even knowing about Pokémon Showcases. She had instead spent all of that time following Ash everywhere and wondering how she could win his heart...

And it nearly cost her back at the forest where she met Adam and Floyd...

"Serena?" a voice asked. "Hey, Serena?"

Serena looked up and saw Shauna approaching her. "Oh, hey Shauna," she replied.

"You okay, girl?"

The honey-haired Trainer smiled at her rival. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"Well, you're not joining the others." She pointed at the group, and Serena saw they were all leaving. "We're all about to leave the battlefield and go eat somewhere, so I thought..." Shauna stopped, and her eyes softened as soon as she realized the problem. "It's about what happened back at the Coumarine City Showcase, huh?"

Serena blinked, then sighed heavily, answering Shauna's questions. With a sigh of her own, she sat down next to her and placed a hand around Serena's back.

"It's okay, Serena," she said. "You win some, you lose some. Besides, that was your first Showcase. There's no shame in losing your first time."

"It's just that...well..." replied Serena. Then, she hesitated for a moment to ponder over her words. "I had a lot of time to train, a whole lot of time. even before I met you at Professor Sycamore's summer camp. I knew I had to find a goal as a new Trainer, and I knew that something was out there, waiting for me... It was something that was etched on my mind. And yet, I never spent any of that time training my Braixen while it was still a Fennekin, in preparation for all that. I was..._distracted_...to say the least..." A memory of a young Ash smiling down at her flashed across her mind for a few seconds. "And I nearly paid the price for that. Literally."

Shauna's eyes widened in surprise. "You nearly paid the price for that?" she repeated. "That doesn't sound too good. What happened, Serena?"

"I'd rather not tell you." Serena shuddered as she remembered her near-fatal experience in the forest. "I'll just say what happened to me got me thinking seriously. I started training as a result." She looked at Shauna. "Then, I met you, you told me about Showcases, and I decided to become pursue them as a goal. That was when my training became serious. But now..." Serena looked back at the battlefield. "Now that I lost my first Showcase, I'm thinking again... Are they for me?"

Shauna smiled softly as she patted Serena's back. "Well, it's really not my place to tell you where you exactly should go in the future. But now that we're here, talking about this..." A faint blush came to her cheeks. "...I thought I'd tell you a little something I probably should've told you when we first met."

Serena came to full attention. "Huh?"

"I was just like you, Serena. Unsure of myself, indecisive about my pursuits, undecided about my long-term goal..."

The honey-haired girl's eyes widened. "You _were_?"

"Yes. At one point, I thought there was nothing in the world that was for me. But then, a good friend of mine told me something special. Something that I held to my heart since then." Shauna instinctively glanced off somewhere; Serena followed her gaze and saw her rival was looking at Calem, her scarlet blush rising in intensity. "Serena, it's important that you _know_ what you wish to do in life." She looked back at her. "Because if you don't, if you spend more of your time jumping around from goal to goal without a concrete vision of yourself in the future, you'll wind up regretting it, and the last days of your life will be spent with you in shame and torment.

"So, Serena, it's okay if you don't want to be a Performer anymore-"

"I do wanna be a Performer!" Serena interrupted. "I was just wondering about all the time I had to prepare myself-"

"Nevertheless," cut off Shauna, "this is still important to know, Serena, because I can tell you're still unsure about yourself." She stood up. "Just know those words."

Serena blinked, taking in the meaning of Shauna's words and processing them. She didn't know what exactly Shauna was trying to accomplish from that, but Serena knew for a fact her rival was trying to help, and for that, she appreciated it. So, she nodded and stood up, putting her hand over her heart.

"I will, Shauna," she replied. "Thank you for that."

Shauna nodded in response and smiled. "Good to hear I helped you in some way! Now come on, the others are waiting!"

She ran off towards the others, who Serena noticed were waiting for them. The honey-haired Performer smiled and followed after her rival.

* * *

**678 Vernal Avenue  
****Lumiose City, Kalos**

Adam didn't react as soon as he heard the door open and close, followed by a shuffling movement and Nick's familiar groans.

"You're late," he snarled as he continued to clean one of his Poké Balls.

"Sorry, boss," replied Nick. "I had a little..._detour_..."

Growling, Adam looked up at Nick and prepared to berate him for his lack of promptness when he noticed his compatriot's current condition. His clothes had pieces of twigs and blades of grass sticking out of them, along with some grimy green stains. Nick's hair was unkempt, with twigs and grass sticking out of the strands.

"What the hell happened to you, Nick?"

"I told you, boss, a little detour." His skin paled when Adam wouldn't respond to his response. "Please don't be quiet, boss. You're at your scariest when you're quiet."

"What can I say?" Adam's eyes narrowed. "I'm a scary guy."

From the kitchen, Lloyd, who overheard the entire conversation, snickered sadistically to himself.

* * *

_"Trying to fix our flaws is a worthless task. How could we fix something that Arceus made crooked in the first place? It's ludicrous, to say the least. To be honest, I'd rather dance with the devil than try to fix my new physical defect. It'd be a **daunting dance with the devil**, I will admit that, but I couldn't think of a better alternative than a dance. After all, isn't it technically the same thing?"_

–Kalos comedian Gail Poyles, on being wheelchair-ridden after her near-fatal car crash

* * *

**Next time on "Judgment's Fall"**

**Hilbert:** I would like to invite you guys over to a special dinner at my place.

**Unknown:** Hiiiiii, ev-er-y-bo-dy!

**Hilda:** You're pretty cool, Serena. I like you!

**Serena:** I...I _love_ you...

**Calem:** You can't ask for everything in life, you know.

**Shauna:** Everything's fine, Serena. Oh, everything's FINE.

**Ash:** It's okay, Serena. I'm here for you.

**Chapter 7: Romantic Dinner**

* * *

**A/N:** Definitely not one of my better chapters. I am still trying! And because of the newest episode, I had to revise the second half of this chapter almost completely, which is why a number of the stuff in last chapter's preview didn't make it in. Speaking of which, I'm also editing that preview.

Anyway, it looks like Hilbert got some serious training, Serena's got some comfort after her loss at her first Pokémon Showcase, and the group narrowly avoided what may have been a deadly second encounter with Adam and his cronies! And it also looks like something interesting may happen in the next chapter...

I'd like to thank all of those who reviewed:

**ajani's apprentice:** Maybe, maybe not... ;)

**the Blade of Vengeance:** Ah, harems are lovely, aren't they? XD No, the supernatural girl ISN'T Latias. But she will appear later on. As for Bayleef, I actually never thought about it. Maybe, depending on how much characters I can handle in this harem! :D

**Gyga (guest reviewer):** I'm SO GLAD you loved that chapter! I had to use everything I had to manage it all. I have a feeling this story will be the death of me, but I'm gonna take it like a boss and continue dishing out more entertaining scenarios! And I'm glad to hear you read "Separation". It's a little essential in understanding this story and especially the AmourShipping subplot, as well as the tidbits with Adam, Floyd, Lloyd, and Nick.

**Guest reviewer #1:** Sorry about that. XD

**Guest reviewer #2:** No, there won't be any Drew/Zoey pairings. But they will share a certain common goal. And yes, Clemont and Max WILL have stuff to talk 'bout.

**The Totem:** I'm very pleased you're loving the story so far! :D As for Pikachu relearning Volt Tackle, maybe. It'll depend on what I want to do with it.

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	9. Romantic Dinner

**A/N:** I was coming down with a sickness while writing this, so I apologize if the quality for this chapter is not par with the others. ENJOY!

**P.S.:** Sorry this was a day late. Once again, the sickness.

* * *

**Autumnal Avenue Alleyways**

"Beaten by a kid and his little Pikachu. Who would've thunk it?"

"Certainly not us."

Three Lumiose City Gangsters were lying among the discarded trash bags and other cluttered items of junk inside the alleyway. A Krookodile and a Pangoro stood tall and mighty by their sides, while a Mandibuzz was circling overhead in a controlled manner. These three gangsters were the same ones who tried to rob Hilbert Black a couple of nights ago, only to be thwarted by a raven-haired Trainer by the name of Ash Ketchum and his Pikachu.

"What in the world happened?" asked the man as he tossed away a bottle he had been drinking out of. "We had that boy in our clutches. The one with the Tepig."

"It was usual procedure, man," replied the hazel-eyed woman. "Everything was going down the way it should've."

"Then that kid with the Pikachu arrived," the blue-eyed woman concluded. "And everything went south..."

The trio remained silent for another few minutes. Finally, the man grunted angrily and stood up, his fists clenched. A look of newfound determination was on his face.

"Hell, no!" he snarled. "There's no way in HELL we're gonna sit here and let what happened sink into us like it's NOTHING! We've gotta do something now! Something that'll put us back on top again! Something that'll ensure all of Lumiose City remembers us! Something horrible and drastic, like, like, like-"

"Getting a big payday, perhaps?" a new voice asked.

The three gangsters looked towards the end of the hallway and their eyes widened in surprise. Standing there confidently was a tall man with spiky light-blue hair and beady black eyes. He was wearing a brown leather jacket, a green undershirt, and torn light-brown jeans. Upon recognizing this man, the blue-eyed woman chuckled.

"Ah, Sid!" she greeted. "Our good ol' salesman!"

"You came just in the nick of time, man!" exclaimed the man as he approached Sid and shook his hand. "We need to take a look at your inventory-"

"Actually," Sid interrupted, "I've got myself some acquaintances who need as much help as they can get. See, they've got a little scheme planned, and the reward is a payday unlike any other payday you fellas have ever seen before." He scanned all three gangsters. "I told them I knew some guys who would love to help out."

The three gangsters all looked at one another. Then, smiles appeared on their faces, and the man faced Sid.

"Count us in. So, exactly how big is this payday supposed to be?"

Sid grinned. "Ask him for yourself."

Before the man could respond, Sid stepped aside. The three gangsters watched as another man stepped into the fray, a Delphox standing beside him.

"Think BW Agency," Adam Glazing said. "_That's_ our payday."

* * *

**Chapter 7: Romantic Dinner**

* * *

**Elsewhere on Autumnal Avenue**

The rest of the day was spent with Ash and all of his friends exploring Lumiose City, down to every nook and cranny possible.

All of the girls, even the ever-tomboyish Angie, shopped to their hearts' content and tortured the boys with all of the bags they forced them to carry, as gentlemen of course. Miraculously, none of the girls never found any sort of conflict among each other through shopping. In fact, they got along better because of it. That is, unless they were asking the ever-oblivious Ash which piece of clothing looked better on who. By the time an hour passed, the boys were desperately craving for death.

Luke showed Brock and Cilan some of the films he made in the past year, and the three shared their opinions on all-time favorites and big-time bombs. Clemont soon joined the conversation and began bonding with Luke over the technology used to create the most dazzling special effects in movies.

Ash, Calem, Tierno, Trevor, and Max passed the time by talking about Pokémon battling, naturally. They also took the time to mention all of their rivals and what they individually expected of the PWT. As a novice to the art of Pokémon battles, Hilbert, who also inserted himself into the discussion, had a hard time being able to make his own input and felt like a fifth wheel at times, but fortunately, he was able to learn a lot more information from the others.

Pikachu, Tepig, Piplup, and Zorua spent the entire time playing, eating Pokémon food made by Brock and Cilan, and saving Piplup from getting itself into trouble with another Trainer's Pokémon. Occasionally, Zorua took some entertainment out of disguising itself as one of the girls and flirting with Ash, drawing a lot of ire.

By the time sundown approached, the group was walking down Autumnal Avenue, having concluded their newest day together. Out of the other groups walking down the sidewalk, Ash's group was the largest by far. Bonnie was ahead of the others, skipping down the sidewalk with Dedenne perched on the top of her head, as usual. Ash and Hilbert were leading the others, engaged in conversation. Directly behind them was Serena, who was subtly listening in on them.

"Thank you, Ash," said Hilbert, looking down at the sidewalk sheepishly, "for helping me train Tepig."

"Tepig tepig!" added Tepig in excitement.

Ash chuckled and gave his friend a thumbs-up. "Hey, no problem, Hilbert, no problem at all!" he replied, flashing a wide, toothy grin. "After all, I never, EVER leave a friend behind whenever they're in need! So, when should we do this training again? Same time, same place tomorrow?"

"Actually..." Hilbert stopped walking, prompting the others to stop as well. "We can't begin training tomorrow, or even for the following week."

"Pika?" Pikachu replied, confused.

"Why not?" asked Ash, equally as confused as Pikachu.

"I have to start training with Hilda on the PWT Exhibition Performance. It's in a couple of days."

"Oh yeah, that's right!" May exclaimed. "The PWT Exhibition Performance! I almost forgot about that!"

"Yeah, me too!" cried Misty. "I was so caught up in meeting up with Ash again that everything else in my mind was completely blacked out!"

"PWT Exhubation Performance?" Bonnie asked, an eyebrow raised. "What's that, May?"

"It's _exhibition_, Bonnie," corrected Clemont.

The little girl rolled her eyes. "Whatever. So, what is it, May?! Huh? What is the PWT what's-it-called?"

"Oh, well, the PWT Exhibition Performance is an unofficial opening day of sorts for the PWT, Bonnie," explained May. "By now, everyone who's been invited by the BW Agency to participate in the PWT and all of its side-competitions should have arrived in Lumiose City. Then, that's when the Exhibition Performance begins! In it, Gym Leaders, Champions, Top Coordinators, and many other famous figures in the PWT will show off their powers and capabilities, sometimes battling each other and even challenging amateurs to quick battles. All of that is gonna last for two hours, and then everyone will gather up for one last sendoff before the day ends."

"And Hilda and I will give the opening and closing speeches," Hilbert said, sounding somewhat glum at the prospect. "So I need to start practicing with her..."

"Speaking of which, I need to be off!" Misty cried, running off in the opposite direction. "I have to practice as well!" Then, she stopped, turned back, and gave Ash an abrupt hug, which caused Serena, May, Dawn, Melody, Macy, Anabel, Angie, and even Bianca to gag. "Bye, Ashy. It was nice meeting with you again. Catch ya later!"

Misty then ran off for good, leaving behind a dumbfounded (and blushing) Ash. Brock then gestured to the direction Misty went off to.

"Yeah, I have to get going too," the aspiring Doctor said. "I need to check up on Forrest's Pokémon so they can be in prime shape for the Exhibition Performance!"

"Same here," added Cilan as he began walking off. "I promised Chili and Cress I'd make them a new recipe I learned, and Chili's not the best in patience. See ya!"

"I have to get going too," Luke added, waving, Zorua trotting beside him. "It was great seeing you again, Ash! See you at the Exhibition Performance!"

Ash and the others waved goodbye to Brock, Cilan, and Luke as they went on their separate ways. Once they were gone, May patted Bonnie in the head.

"We've gotta go as well," she announced. "Our parents are expecting us."

"Aw man, _really_, sis?" moaned Max. "I didn't even get to have that Pokémon battle with Ash-"

The Top Coordinator crossed her arms. "Well, you should've thought about challenging him to one before he started helping Hilbert out with his training problems!"

Max pouted, causing Ash to chuckle slightly in nostalgia. Even though he was now all grown up and a full-fledged Pokémon Trainer, he still acted like that seven-year-old boy he met all those years ago. Then, he bent down, since Max was still a head shorter than him, and ruffled the boy's black hair.

"I see you remembered that little promise we made three years ago, Max," the raven-haired Trainer said, smiling softly. "Unfortunately, it looks like we're gonna have to hold it off for now. But don't worry." He ruffled Max's hair again, causing the young Trainer to smile. "We'll have that battle soon, before the PWT's over. I promise."

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu happily.

Max's smile widened, and he began prancing off in excitement, talking to himself as he began forming battle strategies. May chuckled as she watched her brother go.

"Always pumped for a challenge," she said. "Just like a certain someone I know."

"Well," Ash replied, rubbing his head nervously, "he's certainly learned from a good role model, I'll say that for sure."

"I am certain he did." To everyone's surprise (especially Serena's), May kissed Ash on the cheek. "You have a good day, Ash. I'll see you soon!"

"Y-Y-Ye-Yeah..."

Serena, Dawn, Melody, Macy, Anabel, Angie, and Bianca gagged in horror as the Top Coordinator patted Ash's other cheek softly before following Max. Unsure of how to top what May just did, Dawn gave a brief wave, then followed her friend, still gagging as Piplup looked up at his Trainer, smirking unpleasantly. Meanwhile, Melody, Macy, Anabel, Angie, and Bianca, all equally as shocked as Dawn and Serena over May's move, briefly bade Ash and the others their own farewells before breaking off in different directions. This just left Ash, Pikachu, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, Hilbert, Calem, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor.

"Well..." Trevor remarked, "that was..._weird_..."

"You tell me about it..." replied Ash, still feeling Misty's hug and May's kiss. He knew he was getting a lot of attention from the girls lately, but he didn't know why.

"Spoken like a _man_," Calem said, smirking at Ash's direction.

The black-haired Trainer looked at Calem, confused. "Excuse me?"

"Pika..." Pikachu moaned, dissatisfied by his Pikapi's obliviousness.

"Nothing," the Kalos native replied quickly. "Anyway, I guess it's time for me to get going as well-"

"Hold on," Hilbert interrupted suddenly.

"What's wrong, Hilbert?" asked Ash.

"Actually, I would like to..." Hilbert hesitated for a moment. "I would like to invite you guys over to a special dinner at my place."

Serena blinked. "Wait," she said. "_You're_ inviting _us_ over to _your_ place? As in that summer getaway mansion of yours that's supposed to be here?"

"Well, of course. As thanks for helping me train Tepig."

"Tepig!" added Tepig, nodding in agreement.

"Oh," said Ash. "I wish you could've said this while everyone else was still here. Surely they'd love to come as well. They also pitched in with your training too."

"We only have a few reservations open now, so I thought I'd just leave them for you guys, since you guys contributed to my education the most. Besides, some of the others are already occupying their reservations thanks to their connections to the PWT, so you'll most likely see them there again."

"Well, then," piped Calem, "sounds like a good deal! Especially if I'm dealing with a dinner served by the BW Agency. Count me in!"

"Same here!" Tierno added. "When does the dinner start, man?"

"Tonight, at eight o'clock. The mansion is at the Seventh District. I'll write you the address..."

As Hilbert pulled out a small sheet of paper and a pen, Clemont's eyes widened in surprise.

"Seventh District?" the aspiring inventor asked. "The neighborhood of Lumiose City where the wealthiest families live?"

"Yes, that's the place. Trust me, though, it's not as luxurious and high-end as you would think, Clemont." Hilbert finished writing down the address and gave it to Ash. "Here it is, Ash. I really hope you guys can make it over there." He smiled, his eyes brightening. "I'm pretty sure Hilda would love to meet you guys."

"Of course we can make it!" Ash exclaimed in response. He then looked at the others, all of whom nodded in agreement. "You betcha!"

"Good!" Hilbert replied, smiling. Then, he added as an afterthought, "Oh, and by the way, the guests are all supposed to dress nicely. Hopefully you've got yourselves some nice clothes to wear. You'll never hear the end of it from Hilda when you arrive to one of her parties under-dressed..."

"Told ya that shopping was worth it!" Shauna exclaimed, pointing a finger in the air in a matter-of-fact tone.

"You don't have to remind me..." the boys all chorused in deadpan responses.

"Pikachu..." Pikachu sighed.

"Dedenne..." Dedenne added in agreement.

* * *

**Lumiose Press Headquarters  
Estival Avenue**

The dark-blue van skidded to a stop alongside the concrete sidewalk. Though the sides read 'ANERES PEST HUNTERS' in flashy symbols, they appeared to be recently applied. Inside, Adam, Lloyd, Nick, Sid, and their Pokémon were readying their Bug Pokémon exterminator equipment while Cecile and the three gangsters watched in silence. Outside, several pedestrians passed the van, looking at it curiously, then at the Lumiose Press headquarters building, wondering if there was an infestation.

"Are you sure this is gonna work, man?" the male gangster asked.

"No," Adam replied sarcastically before he thrust a gas mask over his face. "Of course it'll work! We've got the blueprints to the entire building. After we get everyone out and running from that building with that cock-Tauros excuse of a Bug Pokémon infestation, we make our way through the complex and get the chopper within five minutes. While we make our getaway with the chopper, you and the others distract the police with a little robbery. Got it?"

"Yeah, got it..."

"Good." He glared at Cecile. "Your driving skills had better not rusted away during the past eighteen years!"

"Well, I didn't volunteer to be the wheel-man for nothing, ya know," snarled the woman.

Adam ignored her and asked, "You have the warrant we forged, right Nick?"

However, Nick was silent, and his cheeks were turning scarlet. Lloyd giggled sadistically, while Adam sighed in anger.

"You lost it, didn't you?..." he snarled. When Nick remained silent, he growled viciously. "I swear to Arceus, Nick, I'm gonna have Delphox burn you ALIVE!"

Delphox barked at Nick in emphasis, causing the crook to flinch and let out a frightened squeak.

Lloyd giggled again, procured a pink sheet of paper, and waved it in front of Adam. "Never trust Nick with _anything_, _ever_," he said.

With a grunt, Adam snatched the paper out of Lloyd's hands, opened up the van's rear doors, and stepped outside with Delphox. Lloyd followed after him with his new Tyrunt, then Nick with his Hawlucha, and finally Sid with his Shiny Greninja. Nearby pedestrians stopped at the sight of them, as they were all wearing protective gear completely from head to toe, as if they were dealing with not a Bug Pokémon infestation, but a radiation incident.

"Look at them, Mommy!" a little girl shouted, giggling and pointing at the group of alleged exterminators as she held onto her mother's skirt. "They look funny!"

Adam shot a glare at the girl. "You have a death wish, little punk?" he snarled. "Because I'll gladly give it to you."

Delphox also glared at the girl, raised one of its clawed paws, and barked loudly and aggressively at her. The innocent child, disturbed by this odd response, instantly burst out into tears and hid behind her mother, who appeared shocked at what had just happened. However, Adam merely gave a remorseless, triumphant smirk and followed his comrades towards the Lumiose Press building. As they did, the dark-blue van sped away to parts unknown.

* * *

**M Electronics  
Autumnal Avenue**

Serena's eyes narrowed as she examined herself in the mirror, making different poses so she could evaluate herself in different angles. She was wearing a pink dress that flowed down to her ankles and glittered with the light. It showed off her smooth shoulders, hugged at her figure slightly, and had see-through fabric on the skirt, allowing anyone a good view of her legs if one were to give a close look. Tied onto her chest was the blue ribbon Ash gave her at Coumarine City. In addition, Serena was wearing a sapphire necklace and her trademark fedora. Her honey-colored hair was done so well that it had a glow to it as well.

After concluding she looked well in these clothes, the aspiring Performer began traveling down the stairs to the kitchen. As she did, she began thinking about Ash. To her slight misfortune, these thoughts were accompanied by ones of Calem. He easily remembered her from a long time ago, even before she can remember him first; it was definitely something Ash couldn't accomplish. Every time she thought about either of those two boys, she felt warm inside...

Just like she would with Ash...

_"I've never gotten anywhere with Ash,"_ she thought. _"Not once have I been able to do anything to make him notice me. Maybe I'm just realizing that now. Maybe it's the reason why I'm acting this way around Hilbert and Calem. And yet...I feel like Ash is the only one for me... It's something I've known since I first met him..."_

"Hey, Serena!" Bonnie's cheery voice called, dispelling her thoughts. "Wow, you look so PRETTY! Clemont, look at Serena! Isn't she so pretty in that dress?"

Nervously, Clemont took one look at Serena, which lasted for only a second before he flicked his head in the opposite direction.

"Yeah, she looks pretty," he replied quickly, his face as red as a Tamato Berry. However, Serena ignored the reply as soon as she saw Ash.

Her crush was wearing a black suit with a white undershirt and a black bow-tie. While his jet-black hair was still unkempt, it was the least scruffiest she had ever seen it, and Serena had to muster a giggle at the cleanliness and proper attire that she was seeing on Ash. As handsome as he was in it, she could never imagine the very day she would see him look so proper and well-dressed for a high-end party. Serena definitely preferred the rugged, well-worn image of Ash Ketchum better.

"Hey, Ash," she greeted as she recovered from her attempt at giggling.

"Pika-CHU!" Pikachu cried, amazed at Serena's amazing appearance.

"Oh, Serena!" Ash exclaimed as soon as he spotted her. "Wow! You look... You look..."

"Yes?" Serena asked hopefully. In her mind, she thought, _"Maybe I don't have to worry about Hilbert and Calem. Maybe, just maybe, he-"_

"You look great in those clothes!"

Serena's eyes narrowed at the less-than-satisfactory compliment from Ash. It definitely wasn't what she was expecting, but...

She forced a smile and replied, "Thanks, Ash. You look great too! Although I definitely wouldn't imagine you to be the well-dressed kind of guy."

* * *

**Hilda White and Hilbert Black's Summer Getaway Mansion  
The Seventh District**

"This is it," Clemont announced as he, Ash, Serena, and Bonnie approached a steel gateway to one of the mansions within the Seventh District.

"Whoa, look at this _mansion_!" Bonnie exclaimed as she ran up to the gate and clutched the bars, looking through them and into the mansion that was ahead.

"DEDE-**NNE!**" squeaked the Antenna Pokémon as it peeked through the bars and sniffed at the air energetically.

"Yeah, that is a pretty awesome-looking mansion!" Ash cried as he joined Bonnie in looking through the gate.

"Pika!" added Pikachu.

"Well," Serena said, crossing her arms, "as much as I'd like to admire the mansion, we need to find a way to get through that gate first." She looked through the gate in search of other people, but didn't see anyone. "Looks like there's no one standing around here that we can talk to. No guards or anything."

"Were we supposed to contact someone and ask them to open the gate for us?" asked Clemont.

"I'm not sure," Ash replied, looking at Serena and Clemont. "Hilbert never mentioned us having to get in touch with anyone so we could get in."

"We should probably call him," Bonnie suggested, looking up at the raven-haired Trainer.

"Yeah, let's." Then, Ash sighed. "Only...we don't know his number..."

"I do," piped Serena. As soon as Ash looked at her in surprise, she blushed in embarrassment. "We exchanged numbers."

"You did?" For some reason, Ash's voice sounded suspicious, which intrigued the honey-haired Trainer. "Why, Serena?"

"So we could keep in track of each other, of course!" Serena was trying her best to hide her growing blush. "There's nothing wrong with that, right?..."

"No, nothing wrong..."

However, Ash continued to look at Serena with suspicion and...some other emotion unknown to her. Hoping to avoid the tension before it could escalate, she took out the cellphone Meyer gave her before the quartet left for the mansion and dialed the number Hilbert gave to her. She heard three consecutive rings. Then...

"Hello, BW Agency Summer Getaway Mansion!" a female voice replied. "Hilda speaking!"

Serena had to hold back a squeal of delight upon hearing that name. "Oh my Arceus, Hilda?" she asked. "As in Hilda _White_?!"

"_Yeeesssssssss_... That's meeeee... Who is this? And how'd you get this number?"

"Oh, my name's Serena! Hilbert invited us over to your place for dinner."

"Serena, Serena, Serena..." There was a pause. "Nope, we've got no one named Serena on the list."

The Performer's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, what?! What do you mean my name's not on the list?!"

"Something wrong, Serena?" Clemont asked, his eyebrow raised.

However, Serena ignored him and continued, "Come on, Hilda, Hilbert definitely invited me and my friends over. Go ask him!"

"Okaaayyyyy... Hold on for a sec."

A second later, the honey-haired girl heard Hilda hang up on the other end. She grunted angrily and shut off the cellphone.

"She doesn't even know how to put me on hold..." she muttered to herself.

"Is everything alright, Serena?" Ash asked.

"Pika?" Pikachu added.

"Well, apparently we're not on the guest list, Ash! I had her go and ask Hilbert about it, but she hangs up on me!"

"Hey, everyone!" a familiar voice called. "Did we miss out on anything?!"

Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie looked further down the sidewalk and saw Calem, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor approaching them, all wearing their best clothing as well. Upon spotting Calem, Serena blushed again, noticing how handsome he was in a suit and tie, even more so than...

"Hey, guys," greeted Ash, stepping forward. "We're having a little trouble trying to get into the place, actually..."

"Wait, what?" Trevor asked. "Why?"

"Apparently, we weren't on the guest list," replied Serena, pouting. "I tried calling the mansion, but Hilda answered and then hung up on me by accident."

"Hilda?!" Shauna exclaimed. "As in Hilda _White_?!"

"Yeah, that was her... She was definitely the show, alright..." Suddenly, Serena felt her hand vibrating, and realized it was coming from the cellphone. "Hold on a sec, guys." She quickly pressed the answer button of the phone and put the device to her ear. "Oh hey, Hilbert! Is that you?!"

"Guess again, Stella," Hilda's voice replied.

Serena's eyes narrowed. "It's Serena."

"Whatever. Sorry about that little fiasco back there, Serena! Turns out you and your friends were a last-minute addition, so I was not aware you technically made it to the guest list. And besides, you're friends with the Lumiose City Gym Leader, and the BW Agency needs to get in touch with him ASAP. PWT matters and all of the like and such. Make sure he's aware of that!" There was a quick pause. "Alright, you guys can come on in! Again, my apologies, Stella!"

Serena sighed. "It's _Serena_."

However, Hilda already hung up. Several seconds later, the iron gates opened up, allowing the seven Trainers and the young girl to step inside the mansion grounds.

"Hooray, we're in!" Bonnie hollered.

"DEDENNE!" squeaked the Antenna Pokémon.

"PIKA!" Pikachu cried in awe as he and the others surveyed the interior of the mansion's front yard. It was laid out with decorative lights of various colors, which were automatically turning themselves on and off in a discernible pattern. In front of them was a fountain with sculptures of clothed Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott.

"Hiiiiii, ev-er-y-bo-dy!" a voice exclaimed.

The group of eight watched as a girl around their age pranced onto the fray with style and gusto. She had turquoise eyes and hair, and was wearing a glittering blue-and-white, low-cut tank-top; white shorts with a glittering, blue frilly skirt; light-blue boots with white fluff at the top; a white-and-light-blue-striped pantyhose on her left leg; thick, white fluffy cuffs; sapphire-blue earrings; and a small light-blue tiara that was slightly lopsided on her hair. With all of the fluff she was wearing, the girl nearly resembled a Swablu or an Altaria. An elegant cry abruptly sounded above them, prompting them to look up. Circling above them gracefully was an Altaria.

Shauna suddenly gasped happily. "It can't be!" she squealed to herself.

"Lisia here!" the girl cried, bowing. "Me and my Altaria, Ali, have come to take you into the BW Agency Summer Getaway Mansion for a bit of fun!"

"Oh my Arceus, it's actually Lisia!" squealed Shauna as she ran forward and began shaking the girl's hand rapidly. "It's such an honor to actually meet you in person, Lisia! I'm such a big fan! I'm probably your biggest fan ever! Oh, forgive my lack of manners!" Shauna bowed to the girl. "Name's Shauna!"

"Nice to meet you, Shauna!" Lisia replied, smiling warmly as her Altaria landed beside her. "It's always cool to meet up with fans!"

"Uh, excuse me, Shauna?" Ash asked, raising a hand as if he was asking a teacher during a lecture. "Who's Lisia?"

"WHO'S LISIA?!" Shauna, Serena, and even Calem shouted in shock.

"Well, for your information, _Ash_," Shauna explained angrily, "Lisia has gotta be one of the greatest Pokémon Coordinators of all time! Born to a family of Coordinators, she took up the family mantle and became a Coordinator since day one. She annihilated the Hoenn Pokémon Contests on all of her first tries and then won the Hoenn Grand Festival, earning herself the title of Top Coordinator! Then, she annihilated all the Contests and Grand Festivals in Kanto, Johto, and Sinnoh, among others, and became known as the Contest Idol! Since then, she has become the top go-to person for the Universal Contest Committee in sense of Contest promotions. Essentially, Lisia is the face of Pokémon Contests everywhere! You don't say 'Pokémon Contest' without thinking about Lisia first!"

As soon as she finished her explanation, Shauna was panting in anger and staring up at Ash angrily. Lisia was watching the Performer, clearly impressed.

"Well, good to see a fan who actually did some research..." the Contest Idol remarked. Then, she looked at Ash. "So, you're Ash, right?"

"Yes, that's me," replied Ash. "I...I'm sorry if I didn't know why you were-"

Lisia shrugged dismissively. "Ah, it's okay. I mean, there's bound to be someone in the world who doesn't know who I am. And besides-" She then examined Ash from head to toe, a twinkle present in her turquoise eye. "-I think I definitely have it in me to forgive someone as cute as you!"

Serena gagged at that statement. Her skin then paled considerably the moment Lisia took Ash's hand.

"May was definitely right about you!" she exclaimed.

"Wait, you know May?!" Ash asked.

"Yep!" Lisia clapped her hands together, smiling at the memory of her friend. "We're both Top Coordinator Elites, so we came across each other a lot during meetings. She's told me a lot about you, and I can see why she likes you!" She took Ash's hand and began guiding him towards the mansion. "She'll be glad to see you too!"

Everyone else followed after the two. At this point, Serena was visibly shaking in anger at Ash and Lisia's interaction. It looks like she found yet another rival...

"Hey, Serena?" a voice asked. Serena looked at her side and saw Calem staring at her.

"Yeah?" she replied, forgetting about her conflicted feelings for her former next-door neighbor.

"Are you okay? You look pretty upset."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, I'm FINE, Calem!" She began marching towards the mansion faster. "All fine!"

Calem continued to watch Serena walk away in concern. Neither of them noticed Shauna, who was secretly surveying them with an expression of utmost fury.

Eventually, Lisia reached the front door and knocked on it. A few seconds later, the door opened up.

"Here we are, everyone!" Lisia announced as Ali chirped.

Ash, Serena, Pikachu, Clemont, Bonnie, Dedenne, Calem, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor gaped in awe upon stepping inside the mansion with Lisia and Ali. Inside, there was magnificent furniture dispersed throughout the rooms, classical paintings lined the walls, valuable vases and plants were lying in several corners, and there was a fantastic-looking painting on the ceiling, depicting a Snivy, a Tepig, and an Oshawott flying through a starry night sky as a Cresselia watched from a distance.

"Whoa, look at all of this!" exclaimed Ash, his eyes shimmering in awe. "This whole mansion is very AWESOME!"

"I am glad you think so!" a voice replied. Everyone looked at a sofa that was in front of them and found a girl sitting on it. Her brown hair was flowing down her back and shoulders, shining with the golden light coming from the chandelier hanging overhead. She was wearing a creamy-tan dress with frilly shoulder-straps and cuffs.

"Are you-?" began Serena, but before she could complete her question, a tall, thin, older man with gray hair and a goatee stepped beside the girl.

"Welcome to the BW Agency Summer Getaway Mansion," he greeted. "My name is Jones, and I will be your head butler. This here is Madam Hilda White."

"You're Hilda White?!" Shauna squealed, the strange look of distraction having faded away from her face. "Oh my goodness, one celebrity after another! It's so nice-"

"It's nice to meet you too!" Hilda interrupted, smiling. "But I'm afraid we have to save the introductions till later. We need to have all of you checked out first!"

"Why?" Trevor asked. "I thought we were allowed inside."

"Just in case, sir," replied the man named Jones. "As the PWT approaches, we are taking measures to step up security, for the personal safety of both Hilda White and Hilbert Black. You never know what dangers await them, seeking to exploit their connections to the BW Agency. Now please, this way, ladies and gentlemen."

The eight found themselves with no other choice but to follow the butler to another room. Fortunately for them, it didn't take all that long for everyone to get checked for anything potentially dangerous. All they had to do was check their pockets and show all of their Pokémon so Jones can declare all of them safe. By the time about quarter of an hour passed, everyone was done with their security checks. Now, they were following Jones to the kitchen with Hilda and Lisia.

"So," piped Hilda, "who's the Stella girl I talked to on the phone?"

"That would be me," Serena replied, frowning. "And it's _Serena_, not _Stella_."

"Oh, oops!" The brown-haired girl lightly patted herself on her forehead and stuck out her tongue. "Silly me. Anyway, I apologize for hanging up on you. I barely ever use the telephone, any kind of telephone actually. That's the responsibility of the vice-president Bernard. I hope you can forgive me for that little mishap, Serena."

Serena sighed heavily. It wasn't like she hated Hilda or anything, but hearing her made her feel like the BW Agency President barely did any actual socializing.

"Yeah, I forgive you," the Performer replied. "I guess..."

Hilda giggled happily. "You're pretty cool, Serena. I like you!"

"Serena?" a familiar voice asked.

Everyone turned to see someone standing by a plughole in the wall, operating with it. Serena, Ash, Bonnie, and Clemont gasped, recognizing this person.

"Floyd?!" Serena exclaimed.

"Floyd, what're YOU doing here?!" cried Clemont.

"Wait a minute," Hilda said, "you guys know our electrician?"

"He's your electrician?" asked Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie simultaneously.

"For a couple of weeks now. We've been relying on M Electronics to give all our stuff, PWT-related and otherwise, a major update. This guy is really good-"

"No, he's BAD!" Bonnie snapped. "He's a bad, bad, BAD guy!"

"DEDENNE!" squeaked Dedenne angrily.

Hilda blinked in confusion. "Excuse me?"

* * *

**An abandoned cabin  
Route 13  
Outside Lumiose City**

In the forested areas surrounding Lumiose City, numerous wild Pokémon wandered around, sometimes in herds, and grazed on the vegetation. It was a quiet, tranquil night, and the Pokémon were attending to their daily activities in peace and harmony. Some of them even decided to take the time to stop for a moment and gaze up at the exposed Moon, the view of the natural satellite being unhindered from a complete absence of clouds in the night sky.

Then, a strange, mechanical whirring noise was heard in the distance, faint at first, but growing louder and louder in volume by the minute. All forest Pokémon within earshot curiously turned their heads in different directions, puzzled, wondering where exactly the noise was coming from.

Suddenly, a medium-sized helicopter came into view, flying across the sky at high speed. It was hovering dangerously close to the treetops; as a result, all of the wild Pokémon fled in fear at the sight of it, frightened off by the loud noise made by its rotors and assuming the occupants were poachers, out on a hunt. On the side was an insignia that read 'LUMIOSE PRESS'. Sitting inside the cockpit was Sid, who was driving the chopper while Adam, Lloyd, Nick, and their Pokémon sat in the back.

"Alright, alright, land on that clearing there, Sid!" ordered Adam, pointing towards a clear area of grass situated in front of the abandoned cabin they selected as their secondary headquarters sometime ago. Sid nodded and directed the chopper downward towards the area Adam pointed at.

"This looks too hot, Adam!" Nick exclaimed, cowering with fear. "Too hot-"

"Don't jinx it, you idiot! Sid's a trained pilot; landing in a clearing is elementary for him!" He glared at Sid, who was beginning to sweat. "Right, Sid?"

"Well," the man replied, "last time I flew was twenty years ago, so..."

"So your skills are a little rusty."

"Maybe more than a little rusty..."

A couple of seconds later, the chopper landed extremely roughly on the field of grass, causing several forest Pokémon who were nearby to scurry away in fear. Though the chopper didn't suffer any damage from the near-fatal landing, Adam, Sid, Lloyd, Nick, and their Pokémon stumbled out, their skins pale-green. It didn't take long for Nick to begin vomiting all over the blades of grass. Nearby, Lloyd snickered at his accomplice's misfortune before retching himself.

"That was _quite_ a landing, Sid..." snarled Adam as he took deep breaths. "_Quite_ a good landing..."

"Yes, quite a landing," a voice piped. Everyone looked up to see Cecile and the three gangsters approaching them. "The distraction ploy went exactly as planned."

"No one followed you here?" Adam asked between deep breaths.

"Not a single officer. And I assume you managed to fool all of those journalists at Lumiose Press?"

"They fell for it hook, line, and sinker."

"Alright. Then we're all in the clear."

"Good..." The green-haired man stared across the grassy clearing as Pokémon continued to flee from the scene. He smirked maliciously. "Soon, very soon, we will get ourselves the payday of a lifetime." His smirk widened. "And maybe even a little payback for me. ...Just you wait, lil' Serena. I'm coming for you..."

His skin then paled even further, and the villain retched.

* * *

**Hilda White and Hilbert Black's Summer Getaway Mansion  
The Seventh District**

"To whoever made this food...I...I _love_ you..."

Serena smiled widely in delight as she took another bite of the plate of food Jones gave her and sighed in relief. She couldn't believe the kind of chefs the BW Agency had employed. She didn't even think that she could compete with them! They were all obviously so skilled in their work if the food greatly satisfied her to no end and left behind a great aftertaste. Ash apparently thought the same way, as he was emptying out plate after plate, ravenously devouring the food within seconds.

Currently, Serena, Ash, and the others were seated comfortably at a large and oblong table with several other participants in the Pokémon World Tournament, such as Gym Leaders, Pokémon Champions, Top Coordinators, Connoisseurs, and Performers. Sitting on either end of the table was Hilbert and Hilda, who were both receiving special attention from Jones and the other butlers and maids. Every single person at the table was eating their food quietly and politely, with the exception of Ash.

Previously, Ash spent almost an hour getting reacquainted with Gym Leaders he challenged in the past, as well as their Pokémon. The ones he was especially pleased to see were Lt. Surge, Clair, Norman, Volkner, Roxie, and Viola. He also showed off his current team of Pokémon to the Gym Leaders.

Unfortunately for Serena, she found herself unceremoniously reunited with Misty, May, Dawn, and Anabel, who predictably went over to Ash's side almost immediately and competed over who got to greet him first (for the record, Misty won that honor, to the others' displeasure). To make matters worse, Lisia unexpectedly decided to join in on the flirting, much to the ire of the other girls, especially May. However, her dissatisfaction was balanced out with the appearance of the Kalos Queen Aria.

Speaking of problems, Serena looked at Bonnie, who was staring suspiciously at Floyd's direction as the alleged electrician ate from his own plate, having been invited courteously to a place in the table by Hilda. Just like last time with Meyer, Ash defended Floyd again and informed Hilda that Bonnie held animosity against the former villain over some special muffins at Shalour City, allegations that were met with protest by Bonnie and Clemont.

To be honest, Serena had a problem with Floyd and Ash defending him as well. However, she didn't bother to protest, not just yet. After all, she never saw Adam and his other cronies around Floyd, and that, plus Ash's word for it, caused her to decide to give Floyd the benefit of the doubt. But still...she felt a bit suspicious of him...

"So, Ash," Hilda said, looking at the raven-haired Trainer, "I hear you challenged almost all of these Gym Leaders and came out on top all the time. That true?"

"Yeah, pretty much," replied Ash, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "It's nothing, though. Really-"

"No, it's definitely not _nothing_! You've challenged the Gym Leaders of five different regions, including my native Unova! You're on your way to conquering a sixth one! Judging from what I've heard, you secured yourself good spots in the Pokémon Leagues you applied to! You even conquered the Kanto Battle Frontier, the specialized battling tournament run by Scott!" Hilda leaned back in her seat and took a sip of her drink. "I'm surprised. With all that skill, you should've become a Frontier Brain."

"Yeah, he definitely should've," Anabel said, looking at Ash with a twinkle in her eye. "I could sense he had all of the skill held in his heart. But it really didn't surprise me when Scott told me he turned down the offer. All because he wanted to continue his adventure. With his skill in training, he has twice the desire for adventure." A loving smile came to her face, which caused Serena to blush in anger. "It was something that was strong within his heart. I could sense it if I was a mile away..."

"Gee, thanks Anabel," Ash said, chuckling nervously. "But I am not all that perfect. For seven years, I have been striving to reach my true goal: to become a Pokémon Master. To be the very best, like no one ever was." He sighed heavily. "But after five tries and zero results, I definitely haven't gotten myself anywhere. No progress... No real achievement to benefit my quest... No success... Nothing." However, an optimistic grin suddenly appeared on his face. "But I will NOT give up in my goal. Not even if Arceus was destroying the whole world. One day, I will fulfill my goal and become the world's greatest Pokémon Master. ...Even if it means denying myself the chance of becoming a Frontier Brain, or anything else, for that matter." He then scooped up some of his food in a spoon. "That's my resolve."

"Wow..." Hilda said, her eyes shimmering and dreamy now. "You're willing to shoulder all of your losses and ignore everything else for your goal. That's...that's deep."

"You've got that right," Misty replied. "Ash never gives up. That's what's so awesome about him!"

"Is that so?" a voice piped. Everyone looked at Calem, who was coolly sipping his drink. Once he was done, he continued, "You set aside your past defeats like they're nothing, you ignore any other interesting prospects without even showing at least a hint of interest, and most of all, you don't seem to address the true feelings of all the people around you." He looked at Ash seriously, his eyes narrowed. "From what _I _am hearing from you, all you could really think about is your dream to become a Pokémon Master, with no regard for about anything else." Calem closed his eyes and began sipping his drink again. "Sounds pretty selfish, if you ask me..."

Everyone's eyes widened in surprise at that insult, especially Ash's. Pikachu glanced at his friend nervously, wondering what his reaction would.

Indeed, Ash stood up from his chair, outraged. "I'm not selfish, Calem!" he shouted. "Why would you say that about me?!"

"I explained everything to you. You ignore your League defeats, you ignore other opportunities like being a Frontier Brain, and you ignore the feelings of other people around you." Ash turned red at that last remark, something Calem noticed. "Now, I'm not saying any of them are intentional, but all I'm saying you really seem dead-set on fulfilling your goal of becoming the world's greatest Pokémon Master, no matter what happens, no matter the circumstances."

"Well, of course! It's been my dream, ever since I was a kid! I would never give up on it! But I definitely take to mind all of my losses in all of the Leagues I competed in. I know I am ignoring other opportunities that come my way, like becoming a Frontier Brain, but like Anabel said, I just turn them down because I want to continue on my journey. It's not like those occupations are unimportant to me, otherwise I wouldn't have challenged the Battle Frontier in the first place. And I certainly NEVER set aside the feelings of other people around me! I've helped friends and strangers all the time, every day of every week! I'm certainly not selfish!"

"Alright, you've proven me wrong on those terms." However, Calem remained serious. "But tell me this, Ash..."

"Tell you what?! What're you trying to prove by saying this, Calem?!"

Calem asked with conviction, "If you were told that by sacrificing, say, _Pikachu_, you would become a Pokémon Master, would you do it?"

"WHAT?!" Ash demanded, along with several other people at the table, including Serena and Hilbert. "Why would that be possible?!"

"Just use your imagination, Ash. Let's say that's possible. Would you do it?"

"Of course I wouldn't sacrifice Pikachu!" Ash took Pikachu in his arms and held onto the Mouse Pokémon protectively. "Pikachu's my BEST FRIEND! I would NEVER do that to him, even if it meant becoming a Pokémon Master! I would die first rather than having to sacrifice Pikachu so I could become a Pokémon Master!"

To everyone's surprise, Calem smiled, seemingly with relief, and stood up from his chair.

"Really, huh?" he asked.

"YEAH!" roared Ash. "YOU TAKE MY WORD FOR IT, CALEM!"

"Oh, I believe you, Ash." Calem's smile widened and he closed his eyes. "You just proved to me that you are indeed compassionate. I was sadly mistaken about you."

And with that, the Kalos Trainer walked away from the table and out of the kitchen, his smile still in place. Everyone's eyes were glued on him in curiosity as he made his leave. However, before he could get out of earshot, he suddenly spoke again, his voice resonating through the room.

"Just remember these words, Ash. A time will come when you have to choose between one and the other. You can't ask for everything in life, you know."

As soon as Calem went out of the room, Shauna stood up and followed after her friend. Serena stood up as well, watching her friend.

"Shauna?" she asked. "Hey, Shauna, is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine, Serena," replied Shauna, although she looked and sounded clearly agitated. "Oh, everything's FINE."

Shauna left the kitchen as well, following the same direction as Calem. In the meantime, Ash sat back down on his chair, looking both agitated and confused.

"What in the world was _that_ all about?..." he asked. "Calem was acting totally weird there..."

"Pikachu..." replied Pikachu, shaking his head.

"Well..." Hilda said, obviously puzzled by what had just happened, "that was..._weird_..." Then, she forced an optimistic smile. "But now that it's over, let's start eating!" However, everyone else was looking at her with deadpan expressions, and she sweat-dropped. "What?! Gotta keep the good mood going!"

* * *

**A few hours later**

_"Are you okay, Ash?"_

**_"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. It's just..."_**

_"You're upset, aren't you?"_

**_"..._Yeah_... I can't imagine Calem actually saying that to me... I thought he was a cool guy!"_**

_"I think he meant well. But you mustn't let his words affect you like that. It'll throw you off your game!"_

**_"Yeah, yeah, you're right. I should've known that. ...You know, I'm glad I have a friend like you, Serena."_**

_"And I'm glad to be your friend too, Ash..."_

**_"...S-Serena? Why're you _crying_?..."_**

_"It's just...you're not only just a friend to me, Ash. I...I-I...I love you, Ash Ketchum! I've loved you ever since we first met at the summer camp!"_

**_"You...You _love _me?"_**

_"Yes... Sorry about that-"_

_**"No, Serena. No. It's okay, it really is. You see...I like you too, Serena..."**_

_"What?! You...You do? Y-You really do, Ash?..."_

_**"Oh, don't cry, Serena. It's okay. It's okay, Serena. I'm here for you."**_

_"Oh, Ash!"_

As soon as the dream was about to get better, Serena suddenly jerked her eyelids open and found herself lying on one of the sofas. Looking around, she realized that she was now in the mansion living room. At first, the Performer wondered how in the world she wound up sleeping on the sofa. Then, she remembered soon after the weird incident between Ash and Calem during the dinner, everyone dispersed. Right now, mostly everyone was outside, getting reacquainted with none other than...

Serena's eyes softened. She had tried so hard to get Ash's attention during that dinner, but unfortunately, she was beaten to the punch by just about everyone else in the party, especially the girls. Including Misty, May, Dawn, Anabel, Lisia, and even Hilda, unfortunately. It was becoming increasingly frustrating for her, trying to even get her crush's attention for one second. After all, she knew he needed some comforting, after having his dream challenged by Calem for whatever reason...

_"If you were told that by sacrificing, say, _Pikachu_, you would become a Pokémon Master, would you do it?"_

_**"Of course I wouldn't sacrifice Pikachu! Pikachu's my BEST FRIEND! I would NEVER do that to him, even if it meant becoming a Pokémon Master! I would die first rather than having to sacrifice Pikachu so I could become a Pokémon Master!"**_

Speaking of which...

_"ASH! FENNEKIN!"_

_**"What stupid fools they were. But...they're victims of your foolishness, Serena.**_

_**"Since we have these two along with you, I thought I would make my revenge as sadistic as possible. Heh heh heh heh. I shall allow you, Serena, to choose only one of them to live. The one you pick is spared from a painful death at the hands of my Aggron, who's been lusting for blood for a while now. So, who shall it be, little Serena? The boy you wished to confess your feelings to for so long, or the fox you wished to understand more? It is your choice to make.**_

_**"Either way, someone **_**will**_** die. And **_**you're**_** gonna have to watch and relish in your foolishness. ...Your pick."**_

Serena shivered at the memory of Adam making her choose between Ash and her then-Fennekin. She wondered what would happen if this kind of incident happened again... With a heavy sigh, she reached into her pockets and pulled out her two Poké Balls. Looking at them for a second, she then threw them into the air.

"Come on out, you guys," she said.

Braixen and Pancham emerged from their Poké Balls. Upon spotting Serena, the both of them cried out happily at the sight of their Trainer. However, upon seeing her soft, almost sad expression, they became curious. However, their fears were assuaged when she gave them a kind smile.

"Oh, I'm fine, guys. I'm not down or anything. It's just that...certain events just happened. I didn't have anything to do with anything that happened, but it made me go into some serious thinking. And now, I just wanted you guys to know that if anything happens, if I were to choose between you both and my goal, I would choose you without a single thought." Her smile widened, and she embraced her two Pokémon in a tight hug, which they returned. "I love you both, Braixen, Pancham."

Braixen barked happily in response, while Pancham cooed excitedly at the attention it was receiving.

"Hey there, Serena..."

The three looked up and saw Floyd standing near another sofa, holding a toolbox. Serena's eyes widened and she stood up defensively, while Braixen snarled at him.

"What're YOU doing here, Floyd?!" Serena snapped.

"I just got done with my work and was about to leave when I saw you doing your...thing."

The Performer's eyes narrowed at Floyd. "You know, _Floyd_, I don't know why Ash easily forgives you, but for once in my life, I know better than him." She pointed at him accusingly. "I know I haven't seen Adam and his other cronies around you, I know you aren't doing anything outright suspicious, I know you've been acting very, _unusually_ nice, but my gut is telling me that _you_ are up to something evil, and my gut is rarely wrong. So if you try and do anything-"

"I swear to Arceus, Serena!" Floyd interrupted, waving his free hand defensively. "I really HAVE changed my ways! What will it take to convince you and the others?!"

"Maybe if you turn yourself in, I'll give forgiving you a shot."

The blue-haired man's skin paled. Then, he lifted his toolbox slightly and turned his back on the Performer.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that, Serena," he replied softly. "I...I'm too cowardly to face the consequences and go to jail. I can only hope that by starting over I'll redeem myself..." He started walking away, but suddenly stopped. "Oh, and Serena? Remember those words I told you all of those months ago, back in the forest?"

"Words?" Serena blinked. "What words?"

Then, another memory came to her mind...

_**"Always hope for the best and don't think about everyone else, because you're the only one in charge of your life."**_

Serena exhaled, before a small grin came to her face. "Yes, I do remember now. That was actually useful words of advice, Floyd."

"Glad to help." Floyd looked back at Serena. "And I'm glad you are following by those words to the fullest. Just keep remembering those words, and you'll make it."

Without saying another word, Floyd left the room, with Serena, Braixen, and Pancham watching him go curiously. They could heard the front door being opening and then closing, signifying his departure. The three didn't know that the entire exchange were being watched by Calem, who was standing at the corner of a doorway. He smiled happily before leaving.

"Well, now _that's_ more like it..." he whispered to himself.

* * *

_"A **romantic dinner** teaches one nothing, save for the best table manners."_

–Ancient Kalos proverb

* * *

**Next time on "Judgment's Fall"**

**Hilbert:** So...wanna go out for a little lunch somewhere?

**Serena:** You'll become a great Trainer, Hilbert, I know it!

**Hilbert:** I just wish Hilda would think the same way as you...

**Serena:** Can I tell you something, Hilbert?

**Hilbert:** You know, I really enjoyed today.

**Serena:** So did I.

**Miette:** Heh heh heh...

**Chapter 8: Heart and Soul**

* * *

**A/N:** Just so all you know, some of Lisia's dialogue was taken from the ORAS games, so I'll give credit to them for the inspiration.

Anyway, I don't have anything much to say about the chapter, other than I was coming down with a bad sickness while writing it, explaining why it is a day late, sadly enough. Turns out it was a sinus infection. If the chapter's quality seemed poor to you, once again, I apologize for that. Hopefully by the time I write the next chapter next week, my infection will clear up. I'm taking some medication for it right now, so hopefully that should be soon.

I would like to thank those who reviewed (can't answer reviews right now, sorry):

**Gyga (guest reviewer)**

**ajani's apprentice**

**Guest reviewer**

**justareadersofar**

**Ejennings167**

Well, hope you enjoyed this late chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	10. Heart and Soul

**A/N:** My laptop crashed for some reason, so now, I'm relying on my desktop, which I haven't used in over a year, sadly enough. Because of that, I'm not used to the keyboard the desktop uses and typing this chapter was a complete and utter disaster for me. Therefore explaining why this is a day late.

Oh, the things I do to get things done. XD

Anyway, I just saw the newest episode and, just like last time, made some minor changes to the previous chapters to reflect what happened in that episode. However, what I just realized is that now, from what happened in the new episode and through the changes I made, I'd unintentionally presented myself with a little continuity error in the story. If any of you have seen the newest episode, you'll probably know what exactly I'm talking about. This chapter will not solve the continuity error, but I'm pretty sure the next one would. And just so you guys know, that'll be the last time I will be making any sort of changes to the previous chapters in order to reflect recent occurrences in the XY anime. Therefore, consider the story's placement in the anime timeline to be right before Ash's Gym battle with Clemont.

Okay, enough chitchat! ENJOY!

**P.S.:** Also, I noticed that I have been neglecting "The Way We Will Be" for over a month now. My apologies. I'll resume work on the new chapter after this!

* * *

**Hilda White and Hilbert Black's Summer Getaway Mansion  
The Seventh District**

"Bye-bye, everyone!" Hilda called, waving. "Hope you enjoyed the party!"

She, Hilbert, Jones, and Bertrand along with Ash, Pikachu, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie, watched as several more guests of the BW Agency party, most of them Gym Leaders, walked out of the manor and into the front yard, where limousines were parked and waiting for some of them. Some of the adults appeared intoxicated, no doubt from all the alcohol they had spent the party drinking down. The most intoxicated of them all was none other than Lt. Surge, whose speech was slurred and his legs wobbly. His Raichu, which was out of its Poké Ball for the entire party, could only shake its head in disapproval at its Trainer's less-than-civil antics.

"Bye-bye, Hilda, heh heh heh..." the army lieutenant said as he half-stumbled down the stairs. "I'll see ya to-mo-row."

"Madam Hilda," Jones said, beseeching his younger superior, "shall I have someone drive our dear lieutenant back to his hotel?" He glanced at Surge worriedly as he began flirting unsuccessfully with Jasmine and Whitney. "I do not trust his safety, what with the dark of the night and his unfortunate alcohol intoxication."

"AAAGGGHHH! YOWCH!"

Hilda and Jones flinched at the loud, sudden yelp of pain. Then, they watched Surge as he stumbled backward from Jasmine and Whitney, clutching his nether regions and moaning loudly in pain while Raichu sweat-dropped nervously. Clair was standing in front of her fellow Johto Gym Leaders protectively, having just put her right leg back down on the walkway. Ash and Pikachu could only chuckle nervously at the scene while the others watched, shocked at what just transpired in front of them.

"And for other reasons as well," added Jones. "Namely occurrences involving women..."

"Yeah, get someone," said Hilda, in response to Jones's early statement. She then surveyed Surge more closely. "Someone who'll deal with him the entire ride over."

"Well, that's Lt. Surge for you," Morty said, having just arrived at the doorway to witness Surge's misfortune. "Always getting himself in trouble with women."

"Sounds like a certain someone we know, huh Pikachu?" said Ash, looking at the Mouse Pokémon.

"Pi-Pikachu!" Pikachu replied, nodding.

Elsewhere within the mansion, Brock could be heard sneezing suddenly, but no one paid attention. Meanwhile, Morty took notice of Ash's presence.

"Oh, wait a minute!" the Ecruteak City Gym Leader exclaimed. "Could my eyes be deceiving me? Is that _you_, Ash Ketchum?"

Ash blinked, wondering why Morty was addressing him. Then, he realized why: he hadn't recognized the blond-haired man with the new clothes he was wearing. They consisted of a charcoal-gray sweatshirt with purple cuffs, tan cargo pants, purple-and-black shoes, a purple headband, and a purple scarf with red stripes at the ends. Upon recognizing the Ecruteak City Gym Leader, Ash's eyes widened in surprise, and a wide grin quickly appeared on his face.

"Morty!" he replied happily. "I didn't recognize you with that new getup!"

"Same here, although I _did_ spend most of the party outside, so I could've recognized you sooner. So, anyway, how have you been doing?"

As Ash and Morty engaged in a happy, friendly discussion, Serena silently watched with a soft smile on her face. Even now, she was still amazed that her crush would know this many people, Gym Leaders, Coordinators, Frontier Brains, and otherwise. Then, she began to ponder about her future career as a Pokémon Performer and wondered if she too would get that same luxury of being in good friendships with so many well-known people. It all seemed so appealing now. After all, she had been following so many famous celebrities for the past several years of her life and had dreams of becoming one herself...just like Ash was...

_**"Always hope for the best and don't think about everyone else, because you're the only one in charge of your life."**_

_**"I'm glad you are following by those words to the fullest. Just keep remembering those words, and you'll make it."**_

Serena's eyes softened as she continued to watch Ash. His exchange with Calem, plus her latest encounter with Floyd... Both events got her thinking again...

_"Am I really close to accomplishing my dreams? Or am I still being distracted by my love for him? Am I still benefiting from traveling with him?..."_

"Hey, Serena?" a voice asked suddenly, interrupting her thoughts.

Serena looked at her side and saw Hilbert standing there, looking at her. There was a strange glimmer in his brown eyes.

"Yeah, Hilbert?" replied the Performer.

"So..." The president twiddled with his fingers nervously. "...Wanna go out for a little lunch somewhere?"

* * *

**Chapter 8: Heart and Soul**

* * *

**The Kalos Power Plant  
Lumiose Badlands  
Near Lumiose City**

The parking lot of the Kalos Power Plant was deserted of all vehicles, save for one dark-blue van that read 'ANERES PEST HUNTERS' on the sides in flashy lettering. An eerie fog blanketed the entire area, and as the Moon shone upon the parking lot, its light gave the fog an eerie glow. It was something straight out of a horror movie.

Inside the van, Cecile and Lloyd sat in the front seats, lying in wait of someone. Cecile was leaning her head against the wheel, appearing exhausted, while Lloyd was watching her like a predator would watch its prey. Eventually, the woman noticed her comrade's gaze and growled, unsettled by his apparent intent.

"Stop looking at me like that, Lloyd," she snarled.

Lloyd merely chuckled in response, causing her to moan angrily.

"It's not funny, ya know. You're really creeping me out, like you always do."

Lloyd immediately burst out laughing.

"SHUT UP, LLOYD! GAH! MY ARCEUS, I'M GONNA CALL ADAM ON THE WALKIE-TALKIE AND TELL HIM YOU'RE MESSING UP THE PLAN!"

Lloyd stopped laughing, causing Cecile to sigh in relief.

"Thank _Arceus_ for that..."

"You guys called me over?" a voice asked suddenly, startling both villains. Cecile and Lloyd glanced at the latter's door, where they saw a stocky man wearing a Kalos Power Plant employee suit; he had black hair, a thin mustache, and beady eyes that resembled a Piplup's. Reading the man's name-tag, Cecile sighed in relief.

"Ah, thank goodness you came, Burke." She pointed at Lloyd. "THIS moron was being a creeper during the entire wait!"

"Sorry about my lateness," the man named Burke replied as Cecile and Lloyd got out of the van. "So, shall we get started?"

"Yes, please." Cecile glanced at Lloyd bitterly. "Before he drives me nuts."

Lloyd merely giggled malevolently in response. He reached into his pocket and prepared to pull out a Poké Ball...

* * *

**Lysandre Café  
Magenta Plaza  
****A couple of days later**

_"Arceus, why did I agree to this?..."_

That single thought raced across Serena's mind as she sat on the nice leather seat of her table, absentmindedly watching the other patrons and employees of the café mill around while waiting for Hilbert. Without even making a second thought, she had accepted Hilbert's proposal to go out for what he called 'a little lunch'. It did not even really take long for them to get settled on the time and place for their 'little lunch' to take place. Now, the day of their 'little lunch' had come, and she was sitting at her table, waiting for Hilbert to arrive so then they could get on with their 'little lunch'. And what better way to pass all of this spare time than to mull over why she made her decision to start this 'little lunch' in the first place?!

To be honest, Serena didn't know why she let things turn out the way they were right now. At first, she thought it was because she had been so disillusioned with not having Ash's attention all the time, what with all of the attention he was receiving from the other guests at the party. And the girls. How that irked her so! But despite all of her feelings towards that, all of the anger she had felt, she eventually knew that wasn't the reason. No, it had to be something that wasn't as petty as that!

But she didn't have any other reason. None at all.

_"There has to be a reason,"_ she thought. _"I couldn't have possibly agreed to that out-of-the-blue proposal just so I can have a date with a favorite celebrity of mine!"_ Her eyes narrowed with suspicion._ "Yeah, it couldn't be because of that! Maybe I must've sensed he needed my help with something and followed that gut... No way, we barely even interacted during the time I personally knew him! ...I wondered what that look in his eyes was all about..."_

She remembered the glimmer in Hilbert's eyes when she looked at him...

Serena exhaled in an attempt to calm herself down, and began tapping her fingers against her exposed thigh. She didn't really want to think about the circumstances behind this dinner too much right now. With all that was happening right now, all of the pressures she had concerning Ash, the unnecessary attention he was getting, her goals and dreams, her training for the PWT Showcase, and Miette, her head was beginning to hurt even at the slightest deep thought.

"Uh, hello miss?" a feminine voice said, catching the Performer's attention. She looked up and saw a waitress staring down at her curiously. The woman had blue hair that was styled in two rings, one hanging from each side of her head, and also blue eyes and lips applied with lipstick of an identical color.

"Oh, sorry," replied Serena, patting herself lightly on the cheek. "I kinda spaced out for a sec."

"Oh, good to hear our customer is doing fine health-wise." The waitress smiled. "My name is Mable, and I will be your waitress for the day. May I take your order?"

"Hm? Oh, sorry, not right now. I'm waiting for someone first."

"Oh, really?" Mable's eye twinkled for a second. "Maybe that someone is your boyfriend-"

"He's not my boyfriend!" cried Serena, her voice so loud that the people sitting in the neighboring tables were startled. "We're just having a friendly lunch, that's all!"

"If you insist." However, the twinkle was still present in Mable's eye, which upset Serena. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Hopefully you'll be ready to order by then!"

The waitress turned around with a swish of her apron and went to the next available table, leaving behind Serena, who was blushing furiously in embarrassment now. Looking down at the counter of her table and seeing her reflection in the polished wood, she let out a heavy sigh, trying to calm herself down again.

_"No way, there's no way!"_ she thought. _"I can't possibly be in actual _love _with Hilbert Black, am I right?! I'm in love with Ash! I'm in...in love...with Ash. That's right. I am. I am in love with the kind and generous boy who saved me in the forest...when I was a child...when I was seven...which was ten years ago... The boy who saved me...who barely remembered me when I met up with him again... The boy who has everyone else's attention...especially the girls..."_

She sighed again, this time sadly, and laid her head on the wooden counter. However, a few seconds after she did that...

"Hey, Serena!"

"AGH!" Serena yelped, once again startling the people sitting in the nearby tables. She flew her head upward and saw Hilbert standing at her side. "Wha-what?!"

The president, who was disguised in normal civilian clothing, raised an eyebrow and asked, "Serena, you okay? You looked like you were spaced out for a sec-"

"No, I'm fine!" the honey-haired girl interrupted, waving her hands frantically in a desperate attempt to convince her friend otherwise. "I'm fine, I'm absolutely fine!"

Hilbert blinked, seemingly unconvinced as he sat down on the opposite seat of the table. "Okay, if you insist, Serena. Anyway, I had to bring Tepig. He couldn't stand being inside the mansion with Snivy and Oshawott for even a minute, so now, he's waiting outside. Forgive me if I keep looking off."

"It's okay..."

"Anyway...you look good..."

"Thanks, I guess." Then, Serena added in her mind, _"Though you've always seen me wearing this clothing..."_

The two spent the first few minutes of their lunch in silence. Hilbert pursed his lips nervously, while Serena anxiously twiddled her fingers and adjusted her fedora for every couple of seconds while looking around innocently to survey the café. Finally, Hilbert decided to break the ice first and speak up.

"So...what do you think of this café, Serena?" he asked.

"Huh?" Serena looked at Hilbert, curious.

"I asked you what you thought of this café."

"Oh, I heard you. I...I just..." She paused briefly, then shrugged. "Eh, never mind." The Performer began looking around the interior of the building again. "I think it's a great café, Hilbert. To think, of all the times I've been to Lumiose City, I never imagined this was here in the first place. You sure know your places, Hilbert."

"Hey, I'm the president of the BW Agency, one of the most prestigious companies in the world. Of course I gotta have good knowledge of the best places in town!" His brown eyes suddenly softened. "That has to be the only upside to my lifestyle that I can find, though. If only I was more than just a BW Agency President..."

"Do you mind if I ask something, Hilbert?" Serena piped.

"Shoot."

"Why did you become so dissatisfied with being the BW Agency President?"

Hilbert sighed and looked out of the nearby window. "Ever since I was a child," he explained, "I grew up watching Pokémon battles with Hilda. To be honest, the both of us were so amazed by what we saw on TV. We vowed to each other that we'd get out of following our parents' footsteps and become great Pokémon Trainers."

"Hilda felt that way too?" asked Serena. "Looking at her, she seems pretty committed to being a BW Agency President, enjoying it actually."

"She once felt the same way I did as a child. We both desperately wanted to live lives of our own. We wanted to break away from the scope of our parents' extremely high expectations and become our own persons." He chuckled fondly at the childhood memories. "We would pretend to have our own Pokémon journeys and battles. Every chance we got, we would sneak out of our homes and go to the local battlefield so we could watch real Pokémon battles. Man, our parents would be very upset at what we were always doing. And once, Hilda and I promised each other that once we became Trainers, our first battles would be with each other."

Serena's expression softened. "And I assume Hilda's behavior changed as time went by, huh?"

Hilbert's face darkened. "Yeah," he replied.

"What happened, Hilbert?"

"I honestly don't know. She just took business and the BW Agency more seriously day after day. Finally, the Hilda before me was someone I would never recognize."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Hilbert." The honey-haired girl sighed heavily. "I'm sorry I actually asked you that question-"

"No, no, it's okay, Serena," interrupted Hilbert, waving his hand passively. "In fact, I'm quite glad I could share that piece of info. I'm glad I can finally share anything to anyone, as a matter of fact, now that I met Ash. I never got to pour out my feelings because all the people I'm surrounded by will just advise me to suck it up and be on my best behavior for the _sake of the BW Agency's reputation_." He wagged his index fingers at the last six words. "Namely Hilda."

"That must be quite hard on you."

"Indeed it is. No matter how many people I meet and talk with on the job, it always feels so lonely." Hilbert sighed and buried his face in his palms. "You have no idea how pressing it is, to be subjected to high expectations from lots of people, expectations you don't want to fulfill since you know there is another calling for you."

Before she knew it, Serena found herself grabbing Hilbert's wrist in a gesture of comfort.

"Believe me, Hilbert," she said, "I know what you mean."

Hilbert looked up and stared into Serena's sapphire-blue eyes. "You...You do?" he asked.

Serena nodded, a tight frown on her face. "Yes. See, my mom's a famous Rhyhorn Racer, and she expected me to follow in her footsteps. Ever since I was a child, she made me ride the family Rhyhorn for hours, and not once did I enjoy it, even in the slightest. But I couldn't argue against my mom. All I could ever do was follow her orders. But I knew...I **KNEW** from the bottom of my heart, that there was something else waiting for me. Somewhere out there in the world, I knew there was a goal I could definitely enjoy and fully commit myself to. And after traveling with Ash, I found it: Pokémon Performing. And fortunately, I had my mom's blessing."

By that point, Hilbert's eyes had gone wide from hearing Serena's inspiring back-story. "Oh, wow... I-I never knew that about you, Serena. Then again, I never really asked..." Then, he sighed sadly. "But even if I decide to become a Trainer, I will never have the blessing of others like you did, Serena."

Serena's grip on his wrist tightened slightly, and she even clasped her other hand around the same wrist. She was staring him down seriously.

"You'll have MY blessing, Hilbert!" she said encouragingly. "And Ash's! And Clemont's and Bonnie's too! Don't think for a _second_ that no one will approve of what you decide to do in your life! You'll become a great Trainer, Hilbert, I know it! One of the greatest, even! And no one can convince you otherwise!"

Silence fell upon their table, and Serena and Hilbert were both blushing nervously at the position they were in. Serena was leaning towards Hilbert, her hands clasped over his wrist tightly, and their faces were now inches away from each other. Finally realizing this, the both of them broke away and resumed their original positions.

"S-So-Sorry..." stuttered the honey-haired Trainer.

"N-No prob..." the president replied.

The two became silent again. After a couple of minutes, Hilbert broke the silence again.

"H-Hey, Serena?"

"Y-Yeah?..." she replied.

"T-Th-Thanks. For having faith in me."

Her blush increased by the minute. "Y-Yo-You're _welcome_..."

"I just wish Hilda would think the same way as you..."

Serena raised an eyebrow. "She doesn't?"

"No." He shook his head. "Ever since she got into the whole BW Agency affair stuff, she's looked down upon me for continuing to hold onto my..._our_ childhood dream. I never imagined that people could change like that, especially a person like Hilda, but unfortunately, I was proven wrong on that."

"Well, people change, sadly enough. Everyone does. I guess it's one of the rules of nature." Serena's eyes softened as she began to remember a younger Ash helping her back in the forest. "Sometimes, people can change to a point where they will forget who they once were...who important people in their lives were..."

"Well, I hope you don't change, Serena. I could use a good friend like you, and from what I've heard, you're a really good person...and I believe that in my heart..."

Silence reigned yet again as both teenagers began to blush furiously again. Serena couldn't help but feel quite surprised at the compliment that Hilbert just gave her. And unfortunately, the awkwardness of the scene was amplified the moment Mable approached their table again, smiling brightly.

"Why, hello there!" she exclaimed. "I see the happy young couple has settled in well with the accommodations of our café!"

"WE'RE NOT A COUPLE!" Serena and Hilbert screamed at once, startling everyone else in the room.

However, Mable smirked. "If you insist, you two." She whipped out a notepad from her pocket. "So, how may I take your order?"

Serena and Hilbert looked up at the blue-haired waitress, pouting. However, they decided to take their orders already to avoid any further awkwardness. Once Mable wrote down their orders on the notepad and left to get their food, the two teenagers looked at one another, wondering what to say next, all the while still blushing.

"So..." Hilbert began, but his voice trailed off.

"Uhhhhh..." attempted Serena, but she immediately stopped after being unable to find a suitable topic.

Silence fell upon their table once again. Eventually, Serena decided to stand up and get out of the table.

"Uh, where are you going, Serena?" asked Hilbert, watching her.

"Bathroom," Serena replied quickly as she left without looking back.

She passed several times and entered a hallway where the bathrooms were. Upon approaching the door to the women's restroom, she reached for the handle, but as the honey-haired Performer was about to open the door, she abruptly stopped herself. She could still feel the beads of sweat forming on her forehead, the unnaturally warm heat on her face, especially her cheeks... She honestly couldn't believe that exchange she had with Hilbert. It nearly bordered on romantic, for Arceus's sake!...

_"I can't believe it..."_ she thought. _"I...I can't believe it... I was so close to Hilbert... We might've as well been kissing! And now the waitress thinks we're a couple!"_

"Uhhhhh..."

Serena gasped in embarrassment and looked at her side. There, she saw a girl around her age with light-brown hair and eyes standing beside her. She was wearing a large white cap with a red bow on the left side, a red long-sleeved shirt with a white collar, a black undershirt, blue short overalls, a yellow purse, light-red shoes, and white thigh-high socks. This girl was watching her with a look of curiosity and also...what appeared to be amusement, sadly...

"Eep," Serena managed, before she immediately opened the door and rushed into the restroom. Fortunately, it was for one person only, allowing her to close the door behind her and lock it. Leaning against the door's surface, she let out a sigh of relief as she heard the girl make her leave, talking to someone she called Khoury.

_"Aw no, that was _so _embarrassing..."_ Serena then looked at herself in the mirror in front of her. _"But not as embarrassing as..."_

An image of her clutching Hilbert's wrist and leaning close to his face flashed across her mind. Looking at herself in the mirror, she frowned in disappointment.

"I can't believe myself," she whispered. "I...I think I'm...I'm actually starting to have interest in _another boy_." Thoughts of Ash and Calem raced across her mind. "Yet there's still a huge spark in me, a spark that flares up whenever I see or hear Ash..." The Performer sighed. "I've never gotten anywhere with Ash. And now, I've just started looking at other boys. Calem...and now Hilbert." She approached the mirror and placed her hand over it. "Maybe I should give up on Ash... Maybe I should..."

_**"Never give up till the end!"**_

_**"A****s someone who stuck up for you, I must say, Serena...I'm quite happy for you!"**_

_**"****T-Th-Thanks. For having faith in me."**_

_**"Y-Yo-You're **_**welcome**_**..."**_

"Ash..." Serena whispered longingly. "Calem... Hilbert... I'm in love with Ash, and yet...I think I'm falling in love with Calem and Hilbert too! And to make things even worse, there's about a dozen girls who are all over Ash, who I have to compete with for his attention! But I'm no longer so sure about my love for Ash, because of my commitment to my Pokémon and Pokémon Showcases!" She buried her face in her palms. "Oh, this is so complicated, all of it!"

She then reached into her vest pocket and pulled out the Poké Balls containing Braixen and Pancham. Looking deeply at them, imagining both of her Pokémon tucked inside comfortably, awaiting their Trainer to unleash them and give them an order. She could still remember Floyd's words...

_**"Always hope for the best and don't think about everyone else, because you're the only one in charge of your life."**_

_**"I'm glad you are following by those words to the fullest. Just keep remembering those words, and you'll make it."**_

_"Am I following those words to the fullest, Floyd?"_ Serena asked in her mind. _"Am I making it? Because...Because it feels like I'm not right now..."_

**_"Maybe you're doing it, maybe you're not. Depends on how far you've gotten ever since the incident in the forest."_**

_"Oh. My progress is so unbelievable. It'll blow any other person's progress out of the water."_

_**"What's with the sassy attitude, Serena? You found your calling, which is Pokémon Showcases. You even participated in one, for Arceus's sake!"**_

_"Yeah. And I lost."_

**_"And you will learn from that loss in the next Showcase. Don't put yourself down, Serena."_**

_"But I keep focusing on Ash. I keep worrying over him. I keep getting angry every time another girl puts his hands on him. And what have I been doing to further my progress in the Pokémon Showcases? Nothing. I haven't been training ever since I got to Lumiose City! I haven't even considered whether I should participate in the Showcase for the PWT right away, or give Miette the benefit of the doubt and go participate in a Poké Puff Contest. Some progress..."_

**_"You also caught your first Pokémon, and your Fennekin evolved into Braixen. If that's not progress to you, then what is?"_**

_"Even so, I have nothing to show from those occurrences, no newfound strength of any kind. They're just...there..."_

**_"Then don't make them be 'just there'. If you're so concerned, then give yourself confidence in your progress. Begin training."_**

"Hey, girl who's inside there!" a voice called suddenly, startling Serena.

"Y-Ye-_Yeah_?..." replied Serena, looking back at the locked door. She recognized the voice as belonging to the same girl she met at the doorway earlier.

"Whatever you're doing in there, can you get done a bit faster? I need to go too, you know! And so do the two girls behind me!"

"Yeah!" another voice called. "We don't have time for this nonsense!"

Her eyes widened. "Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry!" She stuffed her Poké Balls back into her pocket. "I'm coming, I'm coming!"

Serena ran to the door, unlocked it, and swiftly opened it. Indeed, standing there was the same girl, who had a look of impatience etched on her face. Two other girls were behind this girl, both also impatient. The Performer couldn't recognize one of them, but the second one was easy to identify: Bianca. However, Serena wasn't in a mood to do some socializing, so she rushed past the three girls and went back to the table she shared with Hilbert. There, she found him eating his food.

"Oh, hey Serena," he greeted upon spotting her.

"Can I tell you something, Hilbert?" she asked abruptly, before she could control herself.

Hilbert blinked in curiosity. "Uh...sure." He set down his fork on the plate. "What is it you wanna tell me?"

"I'm sorry, but I have to cut this lunch short. I just remembered I had to begin training."

The president's eyes brightened. "Oh, yeah! For the PWT Pokémon Showcase!"

It was Serena's turn to blink in curiosity. "You knew I was training for the PWT Showcase? H-?"

"Ash told me you were a Pokémon Performer," interrupted Hilbert, sensing her question. "You know, Hilda loves that stuff. Maybe if it weren't for the BW Agency, she would probably be aiming to become a Performer herself." He signed the receipt Mable gave him and stood up. "Alright, let's go."

"Wait, y-you're _coming_?!" Serena exclaimed. "With me?!"

"Yeah, sure."

"But what about-?"

"The food?" Hilbert looked at his and Serena's plates, which were still full of food. "Well, it's not all that different from any other luxury café I've been at. I don't think I'm missing out on anything important, nor did I waste my money. And besides, Serena, after that conversation we had, I thought it's best if I returned the favor."

"Favor? What favor, Hilbert?"

"You showed faith and confidence in my future endeavor as a Trainer." He tipped the cap he was wearing. "I thought I'd help you train for the Showcase, show you my own faith and confidence in your goal. Consider it thanks for the encouragement you gave me. And if there's something good my parents forced on me, it's that good deeds should always be repaid in kind." Hilbert got out of the table and gestured Serena to follow him. "Come on, Serena. Let's start that training, shall we?"

Awed by his speech, Serena looked at Hilbert, who stared back at her with a fiery determination that would've matched Ash's. Realizing he was dead-set on doing this for her, she knew there was no convincing him otherwise. So, the honey-haired girl smiled happily and began walking beside him.

"I'd like that," she replied.

The two approached the café doorway to retrieve Tepig, who was still waiting for them outside.

As they did, Mable spotted them and called, "Have a good day, you two! Mazel tov!"

Serena and Hilbert intentionally ignored the remark as the latter opened the door. Before the two could leave, a young man, almost near their age, stepped inside the café. He had a shady aura about him, with his long, thick black hair and taste of all-black clothing, save for his odd light-blue, thick scarf. Despite the shadiness of the odd Trainer, the two allowed him to pass through the doorway without incident before exiting the building themselves.

Upon stepping outside, Serena recognized Tepig, who was tied to a post outside. The Fire Pig Pokémon lying underneath the shade of a tree frequented by a couple of other Trainers relaxing with their Pokémon. As she and Hilbert approached the tree, they noticed another Trainer petting Tepig. She had chin-length red hair and hazel eyes, and wore mostly all-green clothing consisting of a large cap, a long-sleeved shirt, pants with suspenders, and a scarf. Beside this girl was a Chespin.

"Aren't you a cute one?..." the girl was saying.

"Tepig tepig!" Tepig replied happily, basking in the attention it was receiving. Its tail was wagging furiously, and its eyes were glimmering with wonder.

"Hey, Tepig!" called Hilbert.

"Tepig?" Tepig glanced towards Hilbert and Serena's direction, and smiled at the sight of them. "Tep-tepig! Tepig tepig!"

"Huh?" The red-haired Trainer looked up at Serena and Hilbert, as did her Chespin. "Oh, you must be this Tepig's Trainer!"

"Yeah." The president knelt down and began untying Tepig's rope from the post. "I couldn't bring him inside the café, so I left him out here. I hope he wasn't trouble."

"Oh no, of course not!" exclaimed the girl as she stood up. Serena noticed that the Trainer was much shorter than the both of them, reaching her shoulders. "He was a real sweetie, actually! To be honest, I thought he was abandoned at first, so I thought about capturing him, but I saw how he kept looking at your window and you kept looking back. So, I assumed you had to be his Trainer and decided to keep watch over him, so no one steals him from you."

"And for that, I thank you for your efforts," Hilbert replied, smiling. "Hopefully it wasn't much of a waste of your time."

"No. In fact, a friend of mine went into the café and I'm just waiting for him. Might as well need something to pass the time."

Serena raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you just follow your friend into the café?" she asked.

"Well, he was on a top-secret meeting. He says I can't afford to overhear anything from it."

"A top-secret meeting? In Lysandre Café?"

"Do you know what exactly they're talking about?" asked Hilbert curiously as he finished untying Tepig.

The girl crossed her arms. "Well, if I knew what they were talking about, it wouldn't be a top-secret meeting, now would it?"

Serena and Hilbert both sweat-dropped nervously.

"Yeah, that's true..." Hilbert replied. Then, he took Tepig in his arms and stood up. "Anyway, thanks again, for watching Tepig for me. We'll be on our way."

"You are welcome!" Then, the girl gestured to herself. "My name's Mairin, and this here is my Chespin, but just call him Chespie!" She pointed at Chespin, who waved at the two Trainers. "We and our friend are challenging the Pokémon World Tournament! Hopefully I see at least one of you over there!"

"Nice to meet you two," Serena replied courteously. "My name's Serena, and this is-"

"Bernard, my name's Bernard," interrupted Hilbert, smiling and shaking Mairin's hand. "We're challenging the PWT too. Hopefully we'll meet again there!"

Mairin smiled and gave him a thumbs-up. "You bet on it!" Then, she surveyed Hilbert more closely. "You know...you look _familiar_..."

"Probably just your imagination! Yeah, probably is!" Hilbert immediately grabbed Serena's hand and began guiding her away. "See you later, Mairin!"

* * *

**The battlefield  
****Eastern Lumiose City  
****Several hours later**

Serena and Hilbert spent the remainder of their day training for the former's Showcase. Thanks to Hilbert's knowledge on all of the PWT competitions, Serena learned that the Theme Performance activity for the PWT Showcase was grooming one's Pokémon and giving them a medieval-theme makeover. So, the two of them practiced grooming Braixen, Pancham, and even Tepig, who wanted to participate in the training. Then, they rented medieval clothes for Braixen and Pancham to try out, listing which clothes looked good on the Pokémon and which clothes should be ignored. Tepig wound up accidentally burning the clothes and Hilbert had to pay for them.

Finally, Serena began teaching Braixen and Pancham new techniques that she learned from her recent experiences with Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie. Posing as a judge, Hilbert watched the honey-haired girl give a practice Free-Style Performance and gave her feedback on what to do and what not to do. Tepig was amazed by Braixen and Pancham's Performance, which temporarily threw off Pancham's game as she began showing off aggressively to further impress its audience.

By the time their training was done, the Sun was about to set.

"Return, you two," Serena said, recalling Braixen and Pancham back to their Poké Balls. "You guys did really great. You'll blow them away in the Showcase, I know it!"

"Come here, Tepig," added Hilbert as he picked up the Fire Pig Pokémon and cradled it in his arms. "You've been enough trouble for today."

"Tepig tepig!" Tepig exclaimed excitedly. Then, its ears and tail drooped. "Tepig..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, but we gotta go home. Hilda will never forgive us if we're not being punctual to our schedule." He looked up at Serena. "Hey, Serena?"

"Yes, Hilbert?" the Performer replied.

"You know, I really enjoyed today."

Serena blinked, then smiled and replied, "So did I." She looked down at the ground shyly. "Thanks for helping me train."

"Hey, no prob. Like I said, good deeds should always be repaid in kind! You encouraged me, so I encouraged you!"

"Yeah. Through training. Which I didn't help you with. That was all Ash."

Hilbert shrugged. "Well, from what I've heard about you from Ash, you're not really the battling type. He's the expert on Pokémon battling, though. It's justified."

The Performer scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah. You must think I'm lame, not being into battles and instead preferring flashy, girly performances-"

"Now what guy in their right mind would invite a girl like you to lunch, be encouraged by her in his future endeavors, and then repay the favor by helping her train for something _flashy and girly_, and then call this person lame?" Hilbert approached her and placed his hands on Serena's shoulders, causing her to look up deeply into his brown eyes, her cheeks blushing a bright pink. "Serena, you're NOT lame. You're just being you. And I think you're just as awesome and admirable as Ash."

"Really?" Serena replied, awestruck.

"Really. You know, you and Ash and the others, you guys are my first actual friends. You, _all_ of you actually listened to what I had to say because it was me being me and not someone I did not want to be, a shell, a disguise. Everyone I know through my work in the BW Agency just sees my disguise. Not my true self. To be in your company, it's just as great, if not better than Ash helping me to become a Pokémon Trainer. I would _never_ jeopardize that by calling you or anyone else lame."

The honey-haired girl blinked, absorbing all of Hilbert's words. When she first started her Pokémon journey to reunite with Ash, she had been just like him, something she just realized. Someone who was wearing a disguise for most of her life, someone living a life she secretly didn't want to live but had to because it was forced over her. Everyone she knew before the beginning of her journey only saw her through her disguise. No one saw the real her...

Until Ash, back at that forest...

_Ash_...

_**"Never give up till the end!"**_

_"Never give up till the end..."_ she thought. _"...Ever since I heard those six special words, I knew I should never give up until I shed my disguise and showed the world the person who I really am. I didn't have the resources to do so at the time, but when I saw Ash on TV during that fateful day, I knew I had to show him the true me. And now, all thanks to Ash's influence, I found my true calling...and I am a step closer to being me, not the person my mom hoped I would become. ...Thank you..."_

"Uh, Serena?"

Serena blinked and realized she had been leaning close to Hilbert's face again. Her lips were so close to touching his...

"AGH!" Serena immediately broke away from him and looked away.

"S-Se-Ser-_Serena_..." stuttered Hilbert. "Wh-What was that?..."

The Performer gulped nervously. "I-It was nothing."

"Yeah, nothing. That was definitely _not_ nothing. Serena, if there's something holding you back-"

"Something holding me back?" she repeated. "Something holding me _back_? Something holding me back?!" She twirled around and faced Hilbert with a furious look on her face; her entire frame was trembling. "Something holding me back, you say?! Hilbert...Hilbert, we gotta stop doing this!"

"Stop doing this?" Hilbert replied, his eyes wide. "Stop doing what?"

"This, this, all of this!" Serena clutched locks of her honey-colored hair. "Y-You-You keep d-distracting me! D-Distracting me from m-my...my..."

Hilbert looked down at the ground sadly. "I...I'm sorry you feel that way, Serena... I was just trying to help you-"

Realizing what he meant, Serena instantly added, "Oh, no, no, I appreciate the help, Hilbert, I really do! It's just that...you're distracting me from something else."

"Something else? What do you mean 'something else'?"

"I..." Her blush intensified. "I'd rather not say..."

"Come on, you can tell me."

However, before she could respond...

"Awwwww, isn't that _cute_?" a familiar voice suddenly asked.

Blushing, and shocked by the sudden presence of other people, Serena and Hilbert glanced to the sidelines and saw a couple around their age standing there. Serena immediately recognized the girl as the same one from Lysandre Café. As for the boy, she couldn't recall seeing him before in the café, but judging by how the girl was holding onto his arm, she guessed he would have to be the Khoury boy she was talking to outside the bathroom. He had bluish-green curly hair and dark-brown eyes, and was wearing a yellow long-sleeved shirt with a large collar, a green vest, a pair of circular glasses, blue jeans, and a blue backpack.

"Aw, come on, Lyra," the boy named Khoury replied. "We probably shouldn't be interrupting them like that-"

"WE'RE NOT A COUPLE!" Serena and Hilbert shouted at once.

"Well," the girl said, smirking, "with the way the both of you deny it at the same time, it's a very big indicator..."

"We're not a couple," snarled Serena.

"Seriously, we're not," Hilbert added.

Lyra winked teasingly. "If you insist, you two-"

"WE'RE SERIOUSLY NOT!"

"C-Co-Come on, L-Lyra," Khoury stuttered warily, nudging his girlfriend's shoulder. "Maybe they're being s-serious..."

"Darn right we're being serious!" Serena snapped. "Now get outta here! We were in the middle of a serious conversation!"

"Alright, alright, we'll leave," replied Lyra. She grabbed Khoury's arm, seemingly tightly. "Come on, Khoury. Let's go do some more _shopping_!"

"Aw, come on, Lyra," Khoury groaned. "Anything _but_ shopping..."

"Then let's go for a little _makeover_! Your clothes are so yesterday, anyway."

"No, no, NO! **NOOOOO!**"

Serena and Hilbert sweat-dropped as they watched Lyra half-drag her helpless boyfriend away from the battlefield. Once the two were gone, Hilbert looked back at his friend, only to realize she was no longer looking at him. Instead, she was looking at Lyra and Khoury as they disappeared into the bushes, hearing them converse like a real couple would. At first, he tried approaching her, but remembered her reaction to them being in close contact with one another and decided against it.

"So..." he piped, catching her attention, "you were saying, Serena?..."

"Saying? Saying what?"

"About what exactly I was distracting you from."

Serena sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Hilbert. I'm really sorry. But I-I can't tell you. It's...It's too embarrassing...and too _girlish_ of me. You probably wouldn't want to hear me pour out all my problems and feelings like some sappy, overemotional teenage girl in a soap-opera. But thank you, for being concerned for me." She glanced at the Sun as it continued to set. "Well, I gotta get back to Meyer's place. The others are probably waiting for me. You should get back too."

"Are...Are you sure you don't wanna tell me what exactly is wrong?" he asked. "If it's got something to do with me, I can improve-"

"No. It's got nothing to do with you. Just be who you are, Hilbert. Just be you." She stretched out her hand, beckoning him. "To being ourselves."

Hilbert looked at Serena's hand, surveying it closely. He really wished she would tell him what was troubling her about their get-together. He sensed it had something to do with him, and he didn't want to feel like a burden to Serena. But if she insisted on keeping it to herself, then...he might as well respect her wish...

He grabbed her hand and shook it. "Yeah. To being us."

As they shook hands, Serena desperately felt as if she wanted to kiss Hilbert already.

_"Never give up till the end, huh? What happens when there's multiple ends to consider?..."_

Suddenly, they heard someone chuckling. Believing it was Lyra and Khoury again, they looked at their side. However, it wasn't them. It was...

"Miette?!" Serena exclaimed.

"Well, then," replied Miette, "I guess I really _do_ have to tell Ash how I feel..."

* * *

**At the top of Prism Tower**

Calem knelt to the surface of the top of Prism Tower, running his fingers along the metallic sheet. He then examined his fingertips, which were coated with tiny specks of dust. Eyes narrowed, he sniffed his index finger, his nostrils flaring upon recognizing a distinct odor that wouldn't have been noticed by anyone else.

The Trainer stood up with a soft exhale, just as a soft gust of wind blew in. He held on to his cap as his hair and jacket fluttered with the wind. Glancing off towards a certain direction, he spotted the serpentine shape flying across the sky in the horizon, barely visible in the distance, nearly nothing more than a distant speck. Calem immediately recognized the shape and concluded it had arrived here earlier than expected...and that _he_ had been here, watching it...

Then, his eyes widened in shock as he felt an unknown presence reverberate throughout Lumiose City. He began looking around for the source, but sensed nothing.

And yet, he knew only one thing from this occurrence.

"He's back..."

* * *

**The abandoned cabin  
Route 13  
Outside Lumiose City**

Numerous wild Pokémon observed the deserted cabin warily from a distance within the confines of the forest, watching as Adam and his cronies set up their quarters. Suddenly, they heard a strange rumbling noise, growing closer and closer, and were forced to flee in multiple directions as a large truck carrying two trailers exploded through the plant-life, plants and debris flying through the air as it did so. Manning the wheel was Cecile, while Burke sat beside her on the passenger seat. Following right behind them was the dark-blue exterminator van, which was being driven by Lloyd, who was more chaotic in his driving than Cecile.

In front of the cabin, Adam, Sid, and the male gangster stood silently on the grassy, clear field, beside a barbecue grill, all waiting for Lloyd and Cecile's return. Adam had his arms crossed and he was tapping his foot impatiently. Then, upon hearing the roaring of the truck's engine, a satisfied grin appeared on his face.

"Ah, here we go..." he said.

The truck and van drove through the forest and onto the field surrounding the cabin. Upon nearing the trio of men, the vehicles lightly stopped in front of the house.

"There's our package!" exclaimed Sid gleefully as he and the other two approached the truck; Cecile, Lloyd, and Burke were stepping out.

"Took you two long enough!" Adam called as he approached the trio. "Did Lloyd give you a hard time the entire drive?"

"Nah, I wouldn't let him," Cecile replied through her teeth as she approached the sliding doors of the two trailers and banged on them twice. Strange electrical noises echoed from inside both trailers, as if in response to the woman's banging. "We got the stuff we asked for. It took some convincing, but we managed to get through."

"Thanks to my influence, of course," the Kalos Power Plant employee said. Lloyd abruptly snickered sadistically as he twiddled with his fingers.

"Excellent," replied Adam, glancing at the employee. "So, you're the person Sid and Cecile mentioned. Burke, right?"

"Yes, that's me alright."

"And they're all in top shape, I'm assuming?"

"Of course the package has gotta be in top shape, otherwise I'd simply be out of a job. And don't worry, I didn't cause a blackout in Lumiose while I was at it."

"He's right, Adam," Cecile added.

Burke nodded. "Yeah, what she said. Now..." He stretched out his hand. "I'd like my money, please."

"Not until we get our payday," Adam replied, frowning at his new accomplice's neediness. "_Then_ you can have your money. Until then, I need you to help exert control over the package." He stuck his chin up and looked away stubbornly. "Not that I think we really _need_ any help supervising it."

"Trust me, Adam," said Cecile, "we need him."

"Really? I'd like to see why."

The woman frowned, then unlocked the doors of both trailers and clutched the handle of one of them. "Here, see for yourself."

Cecile grinned widely as she slid the door open, revealing a large horde of Electric-type Pokémon, consisting of multiple, if not all species belonging to the type. All of them snarled aggressively and let out volts of electricity from their bodies, ripping holes through the metal sheets of the trailer with ease. Everyone's eyes widened in shock and even horror at their hostile natures, and stepped backward cautiously. Soon afterward, the Electric-type Pokémon flooded out from the trailer and into the field, where they began shooting out even more electricity, frying anything within their vicinity. The rampaging volts of electricity struck the handle of the other trailer door, causing it to slide open on its own and release additional Electric-type Pokémon that were being kept inside; these Pokémon joined the rampage.

"These Pokémon pretty aggressive, if you ask me," Adam whispered to Burke, just as a volt of electricity struck and destroyed the barbecue grill.

"Well, you're the one who asked for them to be the most aggressive they can be!" he replied. "So I went over the top with the summoning!"

Upon hearing this, Lloyd giggled in amusement. "Nice going, boss," he snarled.

Adam grunted and took out one of his Poké Balls. "AGGRON, GO!" The Iron Armor Pokémon emerged and roared out. "USE FLASH CANNON!"

Aggron fired a silver, powerful beam of energy from its mouth. It struck the ground beneath some of the Electric-type Pokémon, causing it to explode and send them flying backward, hitting several other Pokémon as they fell down to the ground. Those who weren't hit by the Flash Cannon or their fellow captives immediately halted their rampages. Upon spotting Aggron staring down at them menacingly, they calmed down, having been humbled into obedience.

Adam smirked at this newest development and dusted his hands, as if he had just handled something grimy.

"Now _that's_ more like it..." he noted deviously.

"Heh, knew we could count on you to enforce your authority over the situation, man," the male gangster remarked, looking visibly impressed by Adam's feat.

"Of course I've got authority over the situation, the whole scheme!" Adam stretched out his arms. "Now, let's get going! Plan's not gonna execute itself, you know!"

Just then, Nick stepped out of the cabin, rubbing his eyes and yawning. Then, his eyes widened in horror.

"Ah, no!" he groaned. "My barbecue grill!" He collapsed to his knees in horror and disbelief. "Awwwww... And I paid good bucks for it... Man..."

* * *

**Unknown location**

A malicious smile appeared on the unknown girl's face...

**_"It's almost time..."_**

* * *

_"The force of life cannot be possible without a **heart and soul** to guide it."_

–Author unknown

* * *

**Next time on "Judgment's Fall"**

**Serena:** I swear to Arceus, if you open your mouth for even an INCH...

**Alain:** It's a very clear day today, isn't it?

**Diancie:** HOORAY! I finally get to go outside for once!

**May:** STOP CALLING ME 'SIS', YA LITTLE TWERP!

**Max:** It's...It's like we don't even _know_ each other anymore...

**Ash: WHO ARE YOU?! _TELL ME_!**

**Hilda:** Time for the fun to start, everyone, so get ready!

**Adam:** Oh, don't worry, sweetie, we're _really_ gonna have a fun time... Heh heh heh...

**Chapter 9: Growing Complications**

* * *

**A/N:** Just a little point of trivia for y'all, the shipping between Hilbert and Serena is called CafeNoirShipping, and there was an emotional scenario between them in a café, so...yeah. Just thought I'd point that out to you. Rest assured, everyone, this IS still AmourShipping. Remember, the summary says it all!

And we see the return of that unknown X-eyed smiley-face guy from "Separation"! Who, or what, is he? Ooh, mystery... And what's up with Calem too?

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

**Guest reviewer:** At Act IV. Which means somewhere near the end.

**Gyga (guest reviewer):** Yeah, that sickness sucked. But I'm feeling much better now. And yes, it'll get much worse when Miette gets into that mix. XD

**thor94:** Jesus Christ, I can't even read your review; I just quit midway through. So much spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors everywhere! Can you please make it more coherent so I know how to respond to you?

**The Totem:** I'm glad you're loving how the chapter turned out. And yes, I totally reeled you in with that "I love you" declaration. HA HA HA! And you'll see what was up with Calem back there at the party...

**ajani's apprentice:**

1) Yes, I put in Lisia. And she will have a bit of a big role too, so YAY! I've always been intrigued by her character, especially her connection with Wallace.

2) Looks like you were reeled in with misinformation there, buddy. Poor you. XD

3) What do YOU think is up with him?...

4) Yes, yes she does.

5) Oh, we'll be seeing Gary PRETTY soon. Don't worry 'bout that...

Well, hope you enjoyed this late chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out and working on "The Way We Will Be". PEACE!


	11. Growing Complications

**A/N:** Sorry this was late, y'all! My newest update of "The Way We Will Be" gave me a little setback in my schedule. ENJOY!

**Edit:** Fixed a little error pointed out by ChE clarinetist. Thanks! :D

* * *

**The abandoned cabin  
Route 13  
Outside Lumiose City**

Adam smirked triumphantly as he watched the progress unfolding in front of him. Burke was aiding Nick and Cecile in controlling the agitated Electric-type Pokémon, who were currently locked in a gargantuan and sturdy cage of plastic. Nearby, Sid, the male gangster, and Lloyd were making all the necessary repairs and upgrades to the news chopper they stole from the Lumiose Press headquarters building. As for the two female gangsters, they were checking and double-checking the crates of equipment ordered by the villainous group, which contained assortments of cameras, wiring, and television screens.

Then, he glared at the empty field of grass, where his Delphox, Aggron, and Fearow were training. Looking at Delphox in particular, he noticed how overly aggressive and focused its training was. Never before had it displayed such commitment and enthusiasm before. He knew Delphox desperately wanted to settle a score with the Fennekin belonging to Serena as much as he wanted to settle the score with Serena herself. All the more to say Trainer and Pokémon think alike.

"Adam," a voice said. He saw one of the female gangsters approaching him. "The packages are all exactly as we ordered. No errors or damage or anything else."

"Excellent," Adam replied, his smirk widening. "Begin testing on our explosive devices."

"But I thought some of the Electric Pokémon knew moves like Explosion?"

The green-haired man glared down at the gangster with a menacing eye. "If our mission is gonna succeed, we're gonna need all of the firepower we've GOT. Human-made or Pokémon, it doesn't matter. As long as it blows up and causes chaos, it'll be good, and we need a lot of those materials. So. Go. Begin. TESTING."

The gangster immediately saluted, rather comically so. "Y-Yes, Adam!"

She sprinted away, leaving Adam alone. With a disappointed sigh, the villain resumed observing the progress made by his henchmen. Even though they were making good progress, he wished to the almighty Arceus that he could've had himself much more competent henchmen. He was a charismatic, intelligent type of person who could easily allure just about anyone he could think of, he definitely knew that. And yet, he was always stuck with the not-so-bright ones of the bunch...

Then, he noticed Sid approaching him. He and Cecile were definitely the only henchmen Adam could legitimately rely on. After all, they understood his orders, all the way down to the last word, and they didn't have anything to say that sounded completely stupid. Then again, they _were_ his cousins, after all. It ran in the family.

"What's your report, Sid?" he asked.

"We've finished installing the latest upgrades to the chopper we stole," replied Sid. "We're still waiting on that one last upgrade. I must ask, though...is it _necessary_?"

Adam sighed sadly; even intelligent ones can still have their dumb moments. "Uhhh...when we've got police choppers chasing after us, YES. Is that all?"

"No." Sid began reaching into his pockets, apparently in search of something. "I forgot to tell you yesterday, but I received a package from one of my contacts. Turns out it was the wrong item I requested, but upon seeing what this item was, I thought you'd have more use of it than I ever would. If only I could find it... Ah, here!"

The man pulled his hand out of a bag he was currently wearing to reveal...

"A little box?" asked Adam, his voice in an unsatisfied, deadpan tone.

"Open it up and see what's inside."

Adam grunted impatiently and grabbed the box from Sid's hand. He examined it for a moment and then, with a disapproving huff, opened up the lid.

What he saw next caused his eyes to widen in shock. Not even in a million years would he have expected the box's contents.

Sid grinned malevolently. "So, do you like my little present, Adam?"

A malevolent grin appeared on Adam's face. "Like it? _No_. I LOVE it. And I certainly WILL make good use of this..."

_"Just you wait, lil' Serena. With this handy little item, I'm gonna make you _suffer_, once and for ALL! And that's when you'll regret ever messing with Adam Glazing!"_

* * *

**Chapter 9: Growing Complications**

* * *

**The battlefield  
Eastern Lumiose City**

"Miette?!" Serena exclaimed.

"Well, then," replied Miette, "I guess I really _do_ have to tell Ash how I feel..."

"NO!" Serena began waving her hands defensively. "NO, NO, NO, **PLEASE** DON'T DO THAT!"

"Uh...Serena?" asked Hilbert, cautiously approaching the honey-haired Performer. "Is...Is this a friend of yours?..."

She twirled around and stared him down, frightening the president. "DOES IT LOOK LIKE SHE'S A FRIEND OF MINE, HILBERT?!"

"Awwwww, you two look _really_ cute," Miette piped, smiling widely. Then, she wagged her finger in front of Serena's face, causing her to blush. "As for Ash-"

"I swear to Arceus," snarled Serena savagely, her body trembling, "if you open your mouth for even an INCH..."

"Why? Aren't you two a couple?"

"WE'RE NOT A COUPLE!" Serena and Hilbert cried simultaneously.

"You two denying it at the same time is-"

"Look, we do NOT have time for romance indicators and all that other nonsense, Miette," interrupted Serena, her voice bitter and her fists clenched. "We already went through all of the crud with some other couple who was sadly mistaken about the context of our relationship. Now, if you excuse me, Miette-" She began walking past her baking rival. "-I have to get going. It's almost getting late, and I'm not gonna waste anymore time having a lil' chitchat with you-"

"Right," Miette said, cutting Serena off. "But before you go, I would like to ask you a little something."

Serena continued walking away. "And that is?"

"Have you made your decision?"

"What decision?"

"To participate in the Poké Puff Contest."

The Performer stopped walking and turned around. "What?"

"Oh, you heard me." Miette crossed her arms. "The Poké Puff Contest. The one I mentioned to you. The one that's being hosted by-"

"I _know_ what you're talking about, Miette. I'm not stupid, you know." She raised an eyebrow. "I thought you weren't interested in what my decision would be?"

"Well, I am now. So, what's your decision?"

Serena glanced at the nearby Hilbert, who was looking at her quizzically, then remembered all of the training she had with him for the upcoming Pokémon Showcase. Not wanting his shared effort to go to waste, she responded proudly, "Well, to be honest, I've actually made up my mind about it."

Miette raised an eyebrow. "And that is?"

"I'm not doing the Poké Puff Contest. I'm doing the Pokémon Showcase. And there's absolutely _nothing_ you can do to convince me otherwise."

The blue-haired baker smirked as she looked at Hilbert. "Not even, say, telling Ash about your cute boyfriend here?"

Serena's eyes widened. "HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND! AND DON'T YOU **DARE** SAY ANYTHING ABOUT IT-"

"Oh, why not, Serena? It's obvious you haven't gotten Ash after all this time, and now, you have your eye on this cute boy here." She teasingly nudged Hilbert on the elbow, causing him to blush nervously. "I gotta admit, Serena, he really is cute, even more cuter than Ash. I'm _jealous_." Then, she spotted Tepig, who was looking at her in confusion, and her eyes brightened up. "Ohhhhh, and he's got himself a really, really, REALLY cute Pokémon! You've got yourself a good package, Serena!"

"Tepig?..." Tepig asked, tilting its head quizzically.

"For your information, Miette," Serena replied, "he's a good friend who was helping me out with training. And I'm way out of his league anyway."

"Out of his league?" repeated Miette, confused.

"Yeah, 'cause he's-"

"Oh, will you look at the time?!" Hilbert interrupted loudly, innocently smiling as he joined Serena's side and grabbed her arm before she could continue her sentence. "We have to get going right now, Serena; it's almost late!" He waved at Miette, still grinning innocently. "It's nice to meet you, Miette, goodbye!"

Before Miette could protest, Hilbert began half-dragging Serena away from the battlefield. As he did, Serena watched the smirk return to her rival's face, and she had to use all her self-control to prevent herself from exploding like a nuclear bomb then and there... Finally, once the Trainers managed to get themselves a considerable distance from the battlefield, Serena wrestled herself away from Hilbert's grip, nearly causing the president to fall over in surprise.

"Whoa, Serena!" he exclaimed. "What's up?!"

"Why didn't you let me finish my sentence?!" she demanded.

Hilbert blinked, then replied, "Uh, I don't want her to attract a whole bunch of people who'll breathe down my neck and ask endlessly for autographs and photos?"

"Oh. ...Oh, that's right... Sorry..."

"No problem...but...what was all that back there? With that Miette girl? With what Ash apparently needs to know-?"

"It's nothing, Hilbert, it's nothing!"

The president looked down at Tepig, who looked unconvinced. Then, he stared back up at his female friend.

"It certainly did not _sound_ like nothing back there, Serena. Every time Miette mentioned Ash and telling him something, you suddenly become so close to exploding... And also when Miette thinks I look cuter than Ash..." Then, his eyes widened as he put two and two together. "You...You're in love with Ash, aren't you, Serena?"

A shocked Serena looked at Hilbert, who was staring back at her with a serious expression. She knew that, this time, she couldn't lie her way out of this predicament. He was onto her not-so-little crush on Ash and she knew it. So, she sighed heavily and replied by nodding her head in embarrassment.

To her surprise, he said, "Well, it, uh, it now kinda makes sense."

"What makes sense?" she asked, her eyebrow raised quizzically.

"Well, you and your weird attempts at kissing me, the fact that you said you're being distracted by me. I must somehow be reminding you of Ash and you are getting carried away by it." He chuckled slightly. "Yeah, it all makes sense now! I'm so relieved it's not me who's holding you back and all... Well, at least not directly so."

Serena sighed sadly. "I bet you think I'm lame now-"

"Hey, it's natural to have a crush on someone." Hilbert's smile widened. "Especially on someone who is as amazing as Ash. I am not surprised at all, now that I know what's up with you." The president approached a solemn Serena and patted her shoulder consolingly. "Hey, don't worry, Serena. If you don't want Ash to know about your feelings for him, at least not just yet, then my lips are sealed tighter than the best superglue. You've got my word on it."

"Tepig tepig!" exclaimed Tepig in agreement.

Serena looked at Hilbert, her eyes glimmering. "R-Really? You'd keep my secret?"

He nodded. "Yep." Then, he glanced towards the direction of the battlefield. "But it sounds like Miette's gonna beat you to the punch..."

"Yeah..." The Performer clenched her fist. "My goodness, I _hate_ that Miette..."

"Yeah, I can see. Maybe you should spill the beans to Ash as soon as possible-"

"WHAT?!" Serena screamed.

"Think about it, Serena! Miette sounded pretty serious about it. If you really want Ash, then I think you should seize your chance now. Early Pidgey gets the Caterpie, as Hilda always says." He noticed the increasingly glum look appearing on Serena's face, and frowned. "You're...You _are_ thinking about confessing to Ash, right?..."

"Maybe, maybe not..."

"And why not? You _do_ love Ash, right?"

"But I have my Pokémon and my Performances to think about...plus the fear that Ash will not return my feelings..." She shrugged dismissively. "Even if I shout to his face about my feelings, pure and simple, he'll misinterpret me. That's how bad he is at recognizing romance. He's surrounded by other girls and doesn't notice."

Hilbert's eyes softened. "Oh. I see..."

Then, he slung his arm over Serena's neck and began guiding her back into the city. Her eyes widened at this surprise move and she looked at him.

"Hilbert?" she asked.

However, he replied, "Come on, Serena, let's see how bad Ash is at recognizing romance."

Serena didn't like the sound of the president's suggestion. However, she knew she had to trust her new friend for now.

* * *

**Jaune Plaza**

Alain stepped into the plaza and observed the construction crews making all of the necessary repairs to the totaled half of the area. He heard that a few days ago, an extremely heated battle went down at this very plaza, conducted between a group of Trainers and a gargantuan mecha manned by a trio of villains who were trying to steal some Pokémon. Coincidentally, he had earlier observed some of those Trainers as they helped out one of the BW Agency Presidents (he didn't know the name of that person) in training. He took great interest in the one with the spiky black hair and the Pikachu perched on his shoulder.

_"That person must've been very powerful..."_ he thought, his eyes narrowing slightly. _"I wonder if he has any Pokémon that can Mega Evolve. I could use a challenge."_

He glanced at his right side, as if expecting someone to be there, but all he saw was empty air. Then, he remembered he sent Mairin off so he could have the privacy that was needed for this meeting. For some reason, much to his own distress, Alain had come to expect hearing her constant questions and hopes of getting a Mega Evolved Pokémon of her own, every single day. He shook his head at the thought, knowing that by thinking this way he would be distracting himself from the mission.

Glaring towards the undamaged part of the plaza, which was currently being occupied by dozens of tourists, Alain saw the person he was told to meet. A small grin of satisfaction appeared on his face as he approached this particular person, a pink-haired woman wearing a black shirt that exposed her midriff, red-and-black skintight pants, and a pair of bright-red sunglasses. At first, this woman didn't notice him approaching her side, even if she could easily see him at the corner of her eye.

Then, stepping right beside her and looking down the same direction she was staring at, Alain asked, "It's a very clear day today, isn't it?"

The woman smiled and replied, "It sure is. But I hear it is about to get cloudy very soon."

_"The meteorologist predicted sunny weather all month,"_ Alain thought, smiling. He said to the woman, "Yeah. Very cloudy." The Trainer glanced at her. "Malva."

The Kalos Elite Four member smiled as she looked back at him. "Alain."

"A pleasure to meet you."

"A pleasure to meet you as well. Lysandre has said nothing but compliments about you."

"I feel honored by that praise. But enough of the pleasantries. Onto more pressing matters..."

"Yes." Malva glanced at the Prism Tower. "From our observations, we've deduced a total of five spies from the Syndicate who have infiltrated the PWT."

"Five spies? That doesn't seem like a lot for infiltrating a top-profile event such as the PWT." Alain's eyes narrowed slightly. "Have you identified them?"

"Only four. The fifth spy's identity continues to evade us." Malva handed Alain four files. "These contain all the information you need on the identified spies."

"Thank you." Alain opened up the first file, which contained records and a photo of a man with bright-turquoise eyes and nicely-done spiky black hair. "Grimsley of the Unova Elite Four. His family was one of the wealthiest in the Unova region until their corporation went bankrupt and their fortune was lost. He has since developed an extremely strong gambling addiction, which has nearly cost him his position in the Elite Four more than once. No doubt the Syndicate allured him with money."

"Grimsley has been receiving monthly payments of over ten thousand Poké Dollars since three months ago," Malva explained. "Considering he racked up a long string of unpaid debts from his gambling, we looked into it, and the account that's been sending him the money belongs to an overseas corporation whose headquarters is a long-abandoned apartment complex." She handed Alain a photo of a dilapidated building. "In other words, the company's bogus."

Alain pursed his lips in anger. Even he couldn't believe the Syndicate was capable of manipulating even respectable people like Elite Four members. He made a mental note to himself about Grimsley as he moved onto the second file. He found himself staring at a photo of a woman with lavender eyes and hair, wearing a pilot helmet.

"Winona, the Fortree City Gym Leader," he read. "She is the most talented Flying-type Pokémon specialist in the world, and she demonstrates that talent through her Gym battles. Her skills with Flying-types has earned her the nickname of 'The Bird User Taking Flight Into the World'. She also has a close association with Wallace, a Pokémon Coordinator and former Hoenn Champion. ...Hmmm. The bond she has with Flying-types is quite strong, even worthy enough for her to successfully pull off a Mega Evolution. She even has an Altaria, whose species is capable of Mega Evolution." He looked at Malva. "What makes you think she's a spy?"

"We've been monitoring the emails of everyone participating in the PWT," Malva replied. "Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, everyone. We noticed Winona had placed an overhaul of extra security measures on her email account recently. Apparently, she didn't want anyone other than herself viewing that account. However, we easily hacked into the account and found that she had been receiving threatening emails. They came from another email account, which was using multiple IP addresses, so its user's location couldn't be found. These emails threatened that someone or something she loved dearly would die if she did not cooperate."

"No specific details on this potential target?"

"No. But she has been communicating with this account, and it's clear she is cooperating because of the threat. Whoever, or whatever they're threatening, it must be someone she's really close to. A shame too. I met up with her a couple of times before and she's the kind of person that's difficult to break."

Alain continued on to the third file, and his eyes widened in surprise at the photo. "Officer Jenny?"

"The Officer Jenny of Lumiose City, to be more specific. We're also tracking the email accounts of all the Officer Jennys and Nurse Joys in the Kalos region. We found a strange discussion going on between her and the same email account that contacted Winona. However, she doesn't seem to be threatened."

"What do you think is going on with her?" Alain asked.

"We are not sure. She started communicating with the Syndicate three months ago, already promising full cooperation without the implication of a threat to someone in her personal life. Personally, I believe she may have been promised riches like Grimsley, or perhaps some coveted position of power."

Finally, Alain opened up the fourth file, which contained the photo of a beautiful young woman with bright-pink hair and eyes, who had an emotionless, almost robotic expression etched on her face. "Courtney, a Top Coordinator and a well-respected member of the Top Coordinator Elite Association. She came into the Hoenn Contest venue exactly four years ago and has won many Grand Festivals since." He raised an eyebrow. "No recorded history past four years prior, though..."

"We had every reason to believe there were grunts for Teams Aqua, Magma, Galactic, and Plasma who managed to evade capture during the organizations' downfalls and got into hiding," explained Malva. "So, we checked people who suddenly appeared in the system within four years, and she was our best search result. Turns out, she made several donations to the prison holding her old colleagues, through a company advocating for the fair treatment of inmates. After Team Magma was broken out of their prison, the donations stopped coming. We tracked phone calls she made and found she called the same number fifty times since Team Magma's escape."

"So, Grimsley, Winona, Courtney, and even Officer Jenny." The shady Trainer's eyes narrowed. "The Syndicate certainly reached prominent figures of the community... It's...It's alarming, the way they were able to manipulate these people into serving them."

"It certainly is, Alain. Right now, Lysandre has given us the go on expanding our observations to everyone else in Lumiose City. Citizen, tourist, Trainer, participant, it does not matter. You are right in your statement that four spies isn't enough for the Syndicate to keep track of a huge occasion like the PWT. We need to be cautious."

Alain turned to Malva, an eyebrow raised. "Wait a minute. Are you saying we're spying on _everyone_ in Lumiose City?"

"Yes. And that includes our own colleagues." She looked at Alain seriously. "Only Lysandre, the scientists, you, and me are exempt. We CANNOT trust anyone."

"I don't like the sound of the idea, spying on everyone to find a handful of spies." The shady Trainer turned away. "It sounds..._unethical_...and _invasive_..."

"Sometimes, Alain, we have to cross a line if we are to keep our operations, as well as those of everyone else, safe. We have to fight fire with fire."

"And what if the power we have from this gets to our heads?"

"We're specially trained to resist such temptation, but in case that doesn't hold up, Lysandre said we should count on you to rectify that."

Alain looked back at Malva again. "Me?"

"You're not doing the citywide spying, after all. That kind of power won't reach you. Besides, I gave you the info you need. You take it from here, while the rest of us gets our hands dirty." She looked around, then made a dismissive wave with her hand at Alain. "Go on, Alain, make Team Flare proud."

The black-haired Trainer looked down at the three files he was holding, then back up at Malva.

"You'll find the fourth spy soon, right?" he asked.

"Yes, and I'll relay the info to you when we do," she replied. "Now, go."

Alain nodded loyally and made his leave. However, as he walked away from Malva, he looked around, surveying every single pedestrian in the plaza. He couldn't help but feel guilty, knowing that they were being spied on without even knowing it, all for the sake of finding a small group of criminals. But...it was for the best, right?

...Right?...

_"What a series of growing complications..."_ he thought.

* * *

**Lysandre Café  
Magenta Plaza  
The next day**

"HOORAY! I finally get to go outside for once!"

Diancie, or rather known in her human form as Princess Diane, skipped towards the large white SUV, which was surrounded by four Team Flare grunts. Following right behind her were her servants, Lysandre, and Xerosic. Upon approaching the SUV, Diane ran her hands across its smooth, clean surface.

"So _smooth_..." she said, completely breath-taken by the automobile. "Magnificent! Totally magnificent!"

Lysandre suddenly cleared his throat, catching her attention. "Princess Diane," he said, "as fascinating as the city may be, I urge you to not get carried away."

"Yes, Lysandre sir!" replied Diane optimistically, a bright grin curving her facial features.

"Diancie- I mean, Princess Diane!" Dace scolded. "Lysandre is being serious! If you wish to be continue feeling safe, I suggest taking his words to heart."

"Alright, alright! I AM taking Lysandre seriously, Dace! I promise!"

One of the grunts looked at Lysandre and asked, "So, what're we supposed to do with the princess again, sir?"

"Take her to the PWT Exhibition Performance and have her sign in as a special guest. The BW Agency already knows she's coming, so you will not have to answer any difficult questions. Keep her safe at all times, and make sure she doesn't interact with anyone too closely. Remember, Malva's already found two spies within the PWT. Who knows how many other spies there are among the ranks of the Gym Leaders and Champions. Do I make myself clear, grunts?"

"Clear as a crystal, sir!" the four grunts replied simultaneously.

Lysandre grinned slightly. "Good. Now, take her out. Princess Diane is about to make her Lumiose City debut!"

Diane grinned from ear to ear. She really liked the sound of those words...

* * *

**The Pokémon World Festival  
The Prism Tower**

"STOP CALLING ME 'SIS', YA LITTLE TWERP!"

Brock, Cilan, and Clemont all sighed heavily and rolled their eyes as May and Max began bickering endlessly for what was perhaps the umpteenth time. Ever since the entire group (Ash, Pikachu, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, Brock, Misty, May, Max, Dawn, Cilan, Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, Melody, Macy, Anabel, Angie, and Bianca) reunited again at the Pokémon World Festival, the first thing they did to start their momentous occasion at the PWT Exhibition Performance was watch May and Max's arguing. Fortunately, no one really had to deal with the girls being all over Ash and sparking new life back into their recent rivalry this time around.

Again.

"Will those two ever learn to get along?" asked Bonnie, pouting at the two arguing siblings. "It's so frustrating, having to see them yell at each other like that!"

"Dedenne!" chirped Dedenne in agreement.

Clemont's eyelid twitched, and he abruptly cleared his throat on instinct. Fortunately for him, Bonnie never noticed the action. Instead, she approached May.

"May, May, May!" she cried, tugging at the Top Coordinator's shirt to catch her attention.

"Yes, Bonnie?" asked May, immediately ignoring her younger brother and coming to Bonnie's full attention.

"HEY, I WAS TALKING HERE!" Max snapped at Bonnie, although both girls ignored him.

"Let's go buy some ice cream!" Bonnie exclaimed, hopping up and down excitedly.

May smiled toothily at the idea. "Yes, let's!" She glanced at the others. "You guys go on ahead to the Exhibition Performance. We'll catch up with you guys there!"

"Wait a minute, Bonnie!" Clemont exclaimed, stepping forward. The inventor looked puzzled. "D-Don't you wanna buy ice cream with _me_? Your older brother?"

"No thanks, Clemont," replied Bonnie, still grinning up at May. "I wanna buy ice cream with May! She's nice and awesome!"

"Dedenne," Dedenne said, looking up at the Top Coordinator in admiration.

"But I'm nice and awesome!"

"No, you're not." The seven-year-old girl began tugging at May's wrist. "Come on, come on, May! I don't wanna get in a long line!"

"Alright, Bonnie, alright, slow down!" The Top Coordinator began guiding her unofficial protege away from Clemont, but before they could be out of earshot, May took one last glance at Clemont. "Don't worry, Clemont, I'll take good care of your little sister! Make sure Max doesn't get himself into trouble, you guys!"

"YEAH, LIKE I _ALWAYS_ GET MYSELF INTO TROUBLE!" hollered Max after his sister, although she pretended to not hear him. At this, he frowned bitterly. "Lousy May..."

"Come on, Max," Ash said, "I'm pretty sure she means well."

"Pika pika!" added Pikachu, nodding his head in agreement.

However, Max's frown became even more pronounced as he whispered to himself, "If only..."

"Well, come on, gang!" Brock announced as he began to take the lead. "Let's get moving!"

"Yeah!" added Cilan as the Pokémon Connoisseur joined Brock's side. "It's Exhibition Performance time! Maybe there'll be a little room for some _evaluating time_!"

"Oh, joy..." Dawn muttered sarcastically as she and the others followed the two older boys. "I can _hardly_ wait..."

The group continued walking towards the direction of the Prism Tower. As they did, everyone noticed a large balloon tent growing closer and closer to them. They had not noticed it sitting in the Pokémon World Festival grounds before, so they assumed the tent was erected overnight while everyone was fast asleep. It reminded Ash, Pikachu, and Max a little of the balloon tent owned by a magician they once met, Butler. But as the group continued to close in on the tent, they recognized the ever-so-familiar logo of the BW Agency plastered at the top of the entrance hallway. A group of tourists were crowded underneath it, taking photos of themselves and it.

"Okay," announced Misty, "I guess this is where we part ways for now!"

"Oh yeah, that's right!" Ash replied. "All the Gym Leaders and Champions and everyone else have to be onstage with Hilda and Hilbert!"

"Yeah!" Anabel said in agreement as she and Melody joined Misty. "But we'll be seeing you backstage soon, Ash! Don't forget the backstage passes we gave ya!"

The Salon Maiden then finished her sentence with a flirtatious wink, causing Serena and Dawn's faces to redden in absolute anger. They knew Misty, May, Melody, and Anabel gave him the passes just so they can have easy, private access to him. However, they were extremely glad that their other connections were able to land them backstage passes of their own. That way, they could keep watch over Ash and make sure none of the girls get him for themselves.

Misty, Anabel, and Melody ran off to another side of the balloon tent. As they disappeared, Ash remembered something.

"Hey, Clemont?" he asked.

"Yeah, Ash?" replied Clemont.

"You're the Lumiose City Gym Leader, right?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Aren't you supposed to be going with Misty, Anabel, and Melody. Everyone's supposed to be onstage. Including you."

"O-Oh." The aspiring inventor's face began to redden in embarrassment by the second. He remembered trying to weasel his way out of that position by having Hilbert and Hilda accept Clembot as a replacement, but he was shot down almost immediately by the latter. "Y-Y-Ye-Yeah. Y-Yeah. T-Th-That's right. Right."

However, he didn't move, prompting Ash to urge, "Well, go on. I'll be rooting for ya at my seat!"

"Pika, pikachu!" added Pikachu.

"Y-Yeah. I-I'll j-just be g-going, th-then..."

And yet, Clemont still didn't move. However, he noticed the rest of the group looking at him in wait. Deciding it was not worth the risk embarrassing himself, Clemont began slowly walking in the same direction Misty, Melody, and Anabel took. No one noticed the sulking expression and posture he was wearing.

_"Are you kidding me?!"_ he thought. _"I have to be _onstage_? And perform nice, flashy test moves for everyone to anticipate? To get the cheering of the audience?! No, no, no. I've got better things to do than do that! Moving around onstage and making beautiful moves is Serena's job. I'm an inventor! I should be inventing!"_

Then, he sighed sadly as he continued moving towards the entrance specifically reserved for Gym Leaders.

"If only..." he moaned. "If only..."

* * *

**Inside the PWT Exhibition Performance Tent**

It took about half an hour for Ash and the others to gain entry into the tent, register themselves, and find available seats for everyone. Eventually, since the tent was crowded and many of the seats were already taken, the group divided into two smaller groups. Ash, Serena, Max, Brock, Cilan, and Shauna sat in a group of available seats, with one more reserved for Bonnie when she came back; Dawn, Tierno, Trevor, Macy, Angie, and Bianca in another.

"Ah, these seats are the BEST!" Ash exclaimed as he stretched out his arms, reveling in the comfort of his seat.

"Pika pika!" chirped Pikachu in agreement. He then relaxed on the armrest of Ash's seat. "Pika..."

"So, uh...Max..." Brock piped, getting Max's attention.

"Yeah?" he replied, his voice flat and bitter.

"What's going on between you and May? I know you guys fight, but I've never seen you two fight with such heated intensity before. Something happened?"

"Yeah, it's pretty weird..." added Ash, looking up at the tent ceiling in wonder. "Despite your shortcomings with one another, you two got along nicely. In fact, the last time I saw you two, you both seemed much closer to one another than ever, compared to when I first met you two. But apparently, not this time..."

Max shrugged dismissively. "Ah, it's nothing," he replied.

"It sure doesn't sound like nothing, Max," Cilan said. "Your arguments are like the product of a chef who misread the ingredients of a very delicate dish-"

"Yeah, you and your food analogies. That's lovely, very lovely, Cilan."

"I'm just saying it how I see it. There is a lot of tension and animosity between you two, and it's not sibling-deep. It's much deeper than that. As a Connoisseur-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know about the chemistry of different relationships, be it human-on-human or human-on-Pokémon or Pokémon-on-human and the like..." He glared at Cilan, a strange glint in his eyes. "I have done my homework, Cilan. I know all about everyone who's going to participate in the PWT, I know all about every single thing that's gonna go down in the PWT. And that would happen to include the Wallace Cup, starring my _beloved_ dear sister."

He rolled his eyes at the last four words with a great amount of contempt, accompanied by a scoff. Upon seeing this movement of his, Brock and Cilan looked at each other; both immediately deduced the exact same thing. It was as clear as a bright day. However, before they could voice their conclusion, Ash did it for them.

"You're jealous of May," he said. "Aren't you?"

"Jealous?" replied Max, batting his eyes innocently. "Jealous?! _Jealous_?! Who says I'm _jealous_?!"

"You and your scoffing and eye-rolling," Serena said, joining in on the conversation. "It's obvious, Max."

"Hey, don't act like you know anything, _Serena_. You don't know Tauros!"

Ash's eyes widened, alarmed at Max's reaction, and he snapped sternly, "Hey, don't you EVER talk to Serena with that tone! It won't help solve your problem!"

"My problem," Max repeated. "My problem? My _problem_?!" He stood up and stared down Ash. "You know something, _Ash_? I'm not the one who has the problem. It so happens that dear ol' _May_ is the one who's got the problem." He twirled around to glare at not Brock and Cilan, but also Shauna. "But of course you don't see it!"

"What exactly _is_ May's problem?" Brock asked. "You can tell us, Max, and we'll listen. If it sounds convincing, we'll help you solve it-"

"Heh, yeah. Like her stuck-up, snobby, entitled attitude is easily solvable... Ever since she became a Top Coordinator, she's been looking down at everyone who is not at the top of the heap like her!" Max pointed at himself. "And that includes **ME**... All of that worsened ever since I landed Top 4 at the Hoenn League. I couldn't put up much of a fight against my opponent, and instead of supporting me, she rubs it all over my face! As if I had been **ASKING** for my loss! And what's worse, her brand-new position as a Top Coordinator kept her away from home on very long periods of time. Sometimes, they'd take-"

"I know, May told me," interjected Brock. "It must've been a long three years..."

"WHAT?!" Ash, Serena, Cilan, and Shauna shouted at once. "YOU HAVEN'T SEEN MAY/YOUR SISTER IN THREE YEARS, MAX?!"

"PIKA?!" Pikachu added, equally surprised.

Max nodded sadly. "Yep. And when she returned, her personality had been turned around even further. She changed so much since her win at the Grand Festival, and not in the good way. She treats Mom and Dad with kindness, but to me...that's another story. It's...It's like we don't even _know_ each other anymore..."

"That must be a pain," Shauna piped. "I can't imagine what would happen if someone I knew so dearly did a complete 180-degree turn in their personality..."

"Yeah..." added Serena, nodding in agreement.

However, Ash looked unsure. "Wait, are you sure she's all those things you're saying?" he asked apprehensively. "Because she hasn't acted that way around us."

"Trust me, she doesn't act that way because she likes and respects you and the others. But once she's alone with me or anyone she doesn't like, that new personality of hers will come out." Max sighed sadly as he looked towards the stage, which still had its curtain drawn. "May's changed, Ash, more than you can possibly think."

"People change, Max."

"Yeah, but if you love them and trust them for your whole life, then they shouldn't turn their backs on you in the process. That's not change, it's betrayal."

Ash was about to respond when he suddenly felt a dark aura envelop the area. He looked around warily, but no one else seemed to notice the odd feeling he had. He was prepared to stand up, make an excuse, and leave his seat when...he saw _her_ again, sitting at a seat so far away no one else would easily see her.

But he definitely recognized her from the Pokémon Center, Magenta Plaza, the Pokémon World Festival...including that smile of hers...

"Ash? Ash, are you okay?"

Serena's voice pulled him back to reality. Shaking his head, he looked at his honey-haired friend.

"Yeah, yeah I'm okay," he replied. Then, he stood up from his seat. "Can you excuse me for a sec? I have a sudden urge to go to the bathroom."

"Yeah, sure..."

Ash stood up, but felt Pikachu hop onto his shoulder. "Pika pika," the Mouse Pokémon said.

"Uh, Pikachu," he said, "I'd rather prefer it if I went to the bathroom unaccompanied this time around. Privacy reasons."

Pikachu blinked, confused, and tilted his head. "Pika?..."

"Sorry, Pikachu, but I'd like that. I'll be gone for just a couple of minutes, though." He then flashed his longtime partner Pokémon an innocent smile. "I promise!"

"Pika pika..." The Mouse Pokémon nodded apprehensively before hopping off his Pikapi's shoulder and back onto the armrest. He was puzzled by why his Pikapi would want to go to the bathroom unaccompanied this time around when he always allowed him to come along previously. It wasn't like he was actually going to watch him do his private business. He usually just waited patiently inside by the doorway. It was very weird behavior being exhibited by his Pikapi...

As Ash edged his way down the aisle and away from his friends, Serena watched him go, equally puzzled. She too wondered why he wouldn't bring along Pikachu...

Little did anyone notice Ash still staring at the mysterious girl, who had also risen from her seat and begun to leave.

* * *

Upon leaving the audience stand, Ash immediately spotted the mysterious girl departing from the same area using a different exit. He looked around to see if anyone was noticing her. However, when it was clear that it wasn't the case, he edged his way across other attendants to reach the girl, who was now waiting by a cardboard poster of Hilbert and Hilda posing with the Unova starter Pokémon that were the BW Agency mascots. She seemed to be looking around in search of someone.

"Hey!" Ash called, although she didn't seem to hear him. "Hey, you! Girl wearing the white hat! Can I talk to you for a second? Hey!"

However, the girl apparently still couldn't hear him. Then, she moved away from her position and walked into an empty hallway. Ash gasped and followed her.

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't get away from me again! I wanna know why you're following me around, staring at me like that!"

_**"Wouldn't you wanna know?..."**_

Ash stopped, his eyes widening in shock at the telepathic message he had just received. The voice sounded young and feminine. He looked around, wondering if there was suspicious-looking Pokémon capable of telepathy loitering around in the entrance area, but no Pokémon seemed to be looking at him oddly. He then looked at the direction of the mysterious girl, knowing she had to be the one who spoke to him telepathically. Was she a Pokémon in disguise? He needed to know.

But upon refocusing on the empty hallway, he saw she had vanished into thin air again, like she was never there in the first place.

He grunted in anger at losing her again, and ran into the hallway.

"**WHO ARE YOU?!**" he hollered to the heavens. "**_TELL ME_!**"

_**"Maybe you'll find out,"**_ replied the voice, _**"maybe you won't...Ash Ketchum."**_

"Like I'll accept that kind of answer!" Ash snapped, twirling around. "You tell me who you are! Or else-"

_**"Or else **_**what_, Ash? You'll send out one of your Pokémon to attack me? You can't possibly defeat me. Especially since you don't know where I am."_**

Ash growled angrily. "Do you have any idea how freaked out I am right now about you creepily watching me?!"

**_"Yes, yes, I am aware of the nightmares you're having about me."_**

His eyes widened again. "How...How did you know about-?"

_**"The nightmares? Trust me, Ash Ketchum, I have powers beyond your imagination, powers that surpass all others. I see, hear, and know everything you can imagine. Even something as personal as your fears, your needs, your deepest**_** desires_._**_** You think you have seen everything the world has to offer? Oh no, you've seen **_**nothing _yet. And believe me, the big one is coming. I sincerely hope you're prepared for it."_**

"Powers? The big one? What're you talking about?" However, he received no response of any kind. "Tell me! What's coming?! TELL ME!"

"What're you screaming at?" a familiar voice asked. Ash twirled around and saw, much to his own surprise...

"Paul!" he exclaimed.

"If you keep up at it, screaming to the emergency exit door," the purple-haired Trainer said, as if in greeting, "you'll wind up embarrassing yourself. It'd be a shame."

"W-Wha-What are you talking about, Paul?" Ash asked, rubbing the back of his head nervously. He didn't want Paul of all people to think he was somehow going crazy or anything. "I wasn't screaming at anything. You must be seeing things, Paul, because I was certainly not doing anything of the sort. I was on my way to the bath-"

"I have been standing here for the past minute, watching you talk to thin air," interrupted Paul, his voice and expression still stone-cold as ever. "If you think you can fool me with that nonsense, then it appears you're still sadly mistaken about me." He shut his eyes, his frown becoming more pronounced. "After all those years too."

Ash's eyes narrowed. "I'm not crazy, Paul."

Paul shrugged dismissively in response. "I honestly find that hard to believe." He opened his eyes, his pupil glinting with the light. "My past experiences have told me that anyone who screams at no particular person, except at the thin air where nothingness lies, have just succumbed to insanity."

"I know what happens when people are crazy, Paul. I'm not unintelligent."

"Yet you're being ignorant."

"BECAUSE I REALLY AM NOT CRAZY!" Ash stomped his foot down on the carpeted floor. "I KEEP SEEING A GIRL WATCHING ME AND THEN DISAPPEARING WHENEVER I TRY TO FIND HER! AND NOW, I'M HEARING HER VOICE IN MY HEAD! I'M SERIOUSLY GETTING FREAKED OUT, AND I NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON!"

"Mm-hm."

"I. Am. Not. Crazy. PAUL."

"That's what they all say." Paul turned around and began to walk away, his hands in his pockets. "As someone who holds a shred of respect for you despite your, say, _unconventional_ beliefs, I suggest you find _professional_ help as soon as possible, while you still have a good grip of your sanity."

"I REALLY AM NOT CRAZY, PAUL!" roared Ash.

However, Paul ignored him and walked inside the stadium, leaving an infuriated Ash. He clenched his fists in anger.

"Why that Paul..." he muttered to himself. "Disrespectful as ever. Guess only some people change-"

_**"-And some people don't."**_

* * *

At another room of the tent, Clemont warily stepped inside. There, he was greeted with the sight of his fellow Gym Leaders, all from Kalos and the five foreign regions in the PWT, preparing for their presentations with their respective Pokémon. There were also other top-profile celebrities and public figures, such as Top Coordinators, S-Class Pokémon Connoisseurs...and even Pokémon Champions! His legs began to tremble severely as he stepped further into the room, hearing the other occupants make orders to their Pokémon. If there was one thing he hated besides running and having to deal with his inventions blowing up, it was being surrounded by people of his caliber in terms of strength and skill. It was too much pressure for him. What if he actually couldn't compare to them?...

"Hey there, Clemont!" a familiar voice called. The inventor turned to see May waving at him. "Come over here, over here!"

Clemont chuckled and approached May, looking around nervously to see if anyone heard his newfound friend's outburst. Then, he looked back at the Top Coordinator and saw that she was surrounded by Lisia and two others. One of them was a woman with pink hair and eyes, who had an emotionless, almost robotic expression on her face, while the other was a teenage girl around his age with sky-blue hair and light-green eyes. All four of them looked very beautiful.

Which made him all the more nervous...

"Hi, Clemont," May greeted, smiling at him. "It's good to see you here! Just so you know, I dropped off Bonnie, safe and sound."

"That's good, I guess," he replied.

"Yeah. She was such an angel." She grinned before examining Clemont more closely. "You know, sometimes, I forget that you're the Lumiose City Gym Leader."

"Yeah," replied Lisia, her eyes glimmering. "I mean, he's too shy and cute to be a Gym Leader!" She began lightly pinching Clemont's cheeks, causing him to blush in embarrassment. "Look at 'im, Court, Marina! He's just like a cute plushie toy or something!" She intensified the rate of her pinching his cheeks. "He's adorable!"

"Come on, Lissi," said the blue-haired girl, "leave him alone! He obviously isn't enjoying you doing that to his face."

"Oh, sorry!" Lisia immediately released Clemont, whose face was completely bright-red by that point.

"Anyway, Clemont," May said, playfully nudging the inventor on his shoulder in order to catch his attention, "I would like to introduce you to all of my other friends at the Top Coordinator Elite Association. This here is Courtney-" She pointed toward the pink-haired woman, who remained emotionless as she waved softly. "-and good ol' Marina." She pointed at the blue-haired girl, who smiled and waved at Clemont. "I'm gonna leave you with them for a minute, alright?"

"WHAT?!" Clemont exclaimed, mortified at the idea. "WHY?!"

"I've got some other affairs to take care of at the moment!" However, May winked at him, causing him to sense she had an ulterior motive. "You have fun!"

She ran off, leaving Clemont to his doom.

* * *

**Several minutes later**

"Alright, the updates on the lighting system have been finished. And just in the nick of time too!"

"Good. Thanks, Floyd!"

Floyd nodded at Hilda as he began gathering his tools and putting them in his toolbox. Nearby, Hilbert stood, looking apprehensive. Surrounding the three was a huge number of stagehands, all rushing around on the stage they were on, swiftly making last-minute changes and additions that would satisfy the rather outlandish needs that were demanded by Hilda. Finally, after observing a couple of these stagehands trip on a discarded prop in their haste, Hilbert decided to speak.

"Are you sure we need all of this fancy lighting?" he asked. "I thought the true selling point of the show was substance, not style."

"Not when we're dealing with something as high-profile as the PWT, Hilbert," replied Hilda. "One screw-up and everything falls down the drain."

Hilbert sighed and shrugged. "If you insist, Hilda."

"Ms. White, Mr. Black," a stagehand announced as he stepped onto the stage, "we have five more minutes till we launch the performance!"

"Alright," Hilda replied. "I'll go and alert the guests."

She walked offstage and approached a door that was being guarded by two muscular men. They nodded at her and stepped aside, allowing her to open the door. She poked her head inside and saw all of the Gym Leaders, Champions, and other participants training with their Pokémon.

"Hey, everyone!" she announced, getting their attention. "We've got five more minutes! Time for the fun to start, everyone, so get ready!"

* * *

**Route 13  
Outside Lumiose City**

_**"Hey, everyone! We've got five more minutes! Time for the fun to start, everyone, so get ready!"**_

Adam smirked triumphantly as Hilda's voice emanated from the live recorder that was secretly planted inside the guests' training room. He was currently sitting inside the van used by him and his group. Sitting inside were Nick and Lloyd, the former of whom was driving the van down a trail while the latter was snickering at several cages containing Electric-type Pokémon, located in the back. The van's exterminator logos were painted over and replaced with a news logo, reading 'ANERES NEWS'.

"Oh, don't worry, sweetie," Adam said as he continued to overhear everything being said through the recorder, "we're _really_ gonna have a fun time... Heh heh heh..."

* * *

_"If we continue to experience these **growing complications** with Hoenn, I fear this escalating madness will unleash what we've all been fearing: war."_

–Kalos General Pierre Robes, excerpt of a recorded conversation during the historic Hoenn Missile Crisis

* * *

**Next time on "Judgment's Fall"**

**Hilda:** The BW Agency commences the PWT Exhibition Performance! HOORAY!

**Ash: **WHAT?! I can't _believe_ it!

**Cynthia:** It'd be very nice to be back up there...

**Nick:** _Au revoir_.

**Brock:** You are the love of my life!

**Hilbert:** Who exactly _are_ you guys again?

**Serena: YOU!**

**Adam:** Well, well, well. It's SO good to see you again...little Serena...

**Chapter 10: A Ferocious Festivity**

* * *

**A/N:** Welp, this is the chapter. Probably not my finest writing style, but it'll do. Expect the next chapter in a couple of days!

I'd like to thank those who reviewed (can't answer reviews right now, sorry):

**Gyga (guest reviewer)**

**nico2883**

**ChE clarinetist**

**Guest reviewer**

**ajani's apprentice**

**taeuknam**

Well, hope you enjoyed this late chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	12. A Ferocious Festivity

**A/N:** I just saw the newest episode of the XY anime. As expected, Serena's Fennekin evolved, at long last! Now all of you who were still uninformed now know why I made some changes to Fennekin being Braixen instead because I sensed that evolution from a mile away and decided to incorporate it. Besides, this being a sequel to "Separation" and all, I needed to demonstrate how much Serena has changed as a person since those events. Clothing style and all.

Enough chitchat. ENJOY!

* * *

_**"Good morning, everyone, this is Rhonda for Sinnoh Now, reporting live from the ever-bustling Pokémon World Festival. Just like yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that, thousands of people have flocked to the festival to celebrate and take part in many fun activities. This time, the festivity for the day is the PWT Exhibition Performance. Though it is not considered to be the opening day for the PWT, many consider the Exhibition Performance to be as such. And now, a majority of festival-goers are gathering at the place where the Exhibition Performance is being held, this tent located in front of Lumiose City's famous Prism Tower. Yours truly will be covering the entire performance live from her special guest seat.**_

_**"I will bring more as we go along. Now, we go to Bailey for the weather. So, I hear a rainstorm's on its way, huh Bailey? Is it- OOF! OW!"**_

* * *

**The Pokémon World Festival  
The Prism Tower**

"Hey, there's Ash!" Bonnie exclaimed, pointing down the aisle. The others followed the direction of her finger and saw the little girl was right.

"Dedenne!" chirped Dedenne.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu cried.

"Hey, Ash," greeted Serena kindly as she saw the raven-haired Trainer returning to his seat. "What took you so long?"

"A little, uh, complications at the bathroom," Ash replied distantly. Then, he noticed that Serena, Pikachu, Bonnie, Max, Brock, Cilan, and Shauna were looking at him with raised eyebrows, and his eyes widened in shock. "N-Not with me, exactly; I meant the bathroom _itself_! Come on, guys, don't get all confused by what I mean!"

The others continued to stare at him, elated at the meaning of his response, but still confused as to why he seemed so distant. However, before anyone could ponder any further on it, the lights overhead began to slowly dim into darkness. The entire audience fell silent as a pair of spotlights activated and began to circle around the empty stage, its curtain still drawn. Just then, a pair of amplified voices filled the room, voices that sounded familiar to Ash and the others.

"Oh, what a tiring day it has been, Hilda. So much work, so little time. Is there anything else we can do today?"

"Why, yes there is, Hilbert! Guess what it is?"

"Uhhhhh..."

Serena couldn't help but let out a giggle. Even though the conversation was supposed to be a performance, Hilbert was pulling off his role rather perfectly. Fortunately for her, the Performer wasn't the only one who did so, for several other members of the audience, most of them females, also giggled.

"Silly!" Hilda's voice shouted in mock-reprimanding. "It's promote world peace and the art of Pokémon battling to Trainers everywhere!"

"Oh, yeah! That's right! ...But, how _exactly_ do we do that?"

The red curtains suddenly parted and withdrew into the corners of the stage, revealing a pair of seats shrouded in darkness. Everyone could see the silhouettes of two people, each of them sitting rather comfortably on one of the chairs. Both silhouettes sprung up from their chairs and thrust their fists into the air, after which colorful beams of light burst onto the stage, illuminating it. Many members of the audience began cheering as soon as they recognized these people as Hilbert and Hilda. They were wearing their BW Agency advertising clothing, along with small black-and-white earpieces that could be noticed only if one squinted their eyes well enough.

"Whoa, it's Hilbert and Hilda!" exclaimed Ash over the cheering. "Man, they look good up there onstage!"

"You got that right..." Serena replied as she began staring at Hilbert. At the corner of her eye, Ash seemed to notice her intense gaze at the BW Agency President.

"Gooooooooood MORNING, everyone!" Hilda announced, her cheerful voice reverberating throughout the vast room. "How is everyone doing today?!"

The audience responded with a collective cheer of happiness and pride. The response was so joyous that Serena, Bonnie, and Shauna joined in, while Ash even smiled optimistically. His memory of the mysterious girl and his conversation with Paul were immediately fading away to the back of his mind.

Once the audience's cheering died down, Hilbert nodded and said, "I guess that answers your question, Hilda."

"Yes, I believe it does!" replied Hilda. "And I also believe that all of this cheering will be even more louder once the Pokémon World Tournament starts up next week!"

The audience began cheering again, and Hilda and Hilbert scanned the audience, smiling happily. Just then, Hilbert's eyes met Serena's and became fixated on them, causing her to blush in embarrassment. This blush intensified when she saw the president give her a crafty wink before moving on. Naturally, Ash noticed this.

"W-What was all that?..." the black-haired Trainer asked.

"Huh?" replied Serena, still keeping her eyes on Hilbert.

Before Ash could clarify himself, the audience's cheer died down again, and Hilbert announced, "Oh yeah, you betcha, Hilda. Of course the PWT's the biggest event on everyone's minds. It's gonna be mind-boggling, the attendance rates. I'm gonna have a hard time keeping up with all the numbers-"

"Oh, don't be so pessimistic, Hilbert!" Hilda interrupted, patting her partner on the shoulder. "Attendance rates don't matter, not when the PWT is concerned. See, the big picture of the PWT is all about _world peace_. Until nineteen years ago, relations between regions were tense, and there were wars that ravaged throughout history. Things may have improved since then, but there is still an air of tension lingering between many of the world's regions. The BW Agency knew this, and as the world's most successful and profitable company, we knew we had to at least make an effort to change this. Hence the creation of the PWT.

"The PWT was designed not only as a venue for many Pokémon sports like Gym battles and Showcases and Contests and the like, but as an opportunity for people to share and learn all the different cultures of the regions participating in this tournament. An opportunity for people to come here, from far and wide, to meet others of different opinions and tastes, but with the shared love of Pokémon, and get along. An opportunity for the world to take that first step towards widespread peace.

"An opportunity...for a brighter future..."

The audience burst out into its loudest cheer yet, which even made some of the seats tremble with the merged sounds of people shouting and screaming happily. The cheering was so loud, in fact, that Bonnie covered her ears with her hands instead of joining the others in the cheer.

"SO LOUD!" she shouted.

"DEDENNE!" added Dedenne as the Antenna Pokémon also covered its ears.

"And a brighter future we shall have, Hilda!" Hilbert exclaimed. "Let's give these ladies and gentlemen what exactly they came for!"

"Indeed!" Hilda replied, as the cheer intensified. "The BW Agency commences the PWT Exhibition Performance! HOORAY!"

As if the cheering couldn't get any louder, it just did. Snivy suddenly dashed onto the stage from the left, Tepig ran onto it from the right, and Oshawott flipped down from the stage ceiling, supported by cables. All three Unova starter Pokémon hopped in front of Hilbert and Hilda, making their signature poses with their owners.

* * *

Outside the tent, Adam, Lloyd, and Nick stood, all overhearing the audience cheering. They grinned deviously in anticipation of what they were about to unleash.

* * *

**Chapter 10: A Ferocious Festivity**

* * *

**Over an hour later**

"Man, that was a _long_ performance!"

"Pika!"

Ash and the others left the audience room and entered the entrance area of the tent, some of them stretching their arms and legs as they did so, others yawning with exhaustion. The first act of the performance just finished, during which everyone saw introductions of the Kanto and Johto Gym Leaders, who named themselves and their signature Pokémon before having them show off their attacks and strength. They also saw introductions by some other celebrities and top-profile figures.

"You got that right, Ash," Dawn replied as she stretched her arm while Piplup stretched his own arms. "That was quite long. To think, you challenged those guys..."

"Pip-piplup..." added Piplup as he continued to stretch.

"Can't wait to see who else you challenged, man," added Tierno.

"Oh, trust me, guys," Ash said, "they were all challenges in their own right."

"Well, if you don't count the ones who gave you Badges because they liked you," Brock piped, nudging his longtime friend's shoulder.

Everyone else's eyes widened in surprise. "YOU GOT BADGES BECAUSE THE GYM LEADERS _LIKED_ YOU?!"

"Only in some cases in Kanto," replied Ash sheepishly. Then, he added defensively, "Everyone else was fair game, though!"

However, Serena, Dawn, Macy, Angie, and Bianca were shaking their heads in disapproval. Ash began to blush intensely from embarrassment.

"Shame on you, Ash," Dawn said.

"I thought you were much better than that..." added Serena.

Fortunately for Ash, he was able to avoid continuing the awkward conversation, for he heard a barrage of familiar voices shouting one thing.

"HEY, ASH!"

"PIKA!"

The raven-haired Trainer turned around and saw a rather peculiar quartet standing a few feet away, waving furiously at him. One was a teenage boy who appeared to be around Ash's age, who had auburn hair and wore similar clothing as him, except these were colored green, dark-blue, and yellow; a Pikachu with a distinguishable scruff of hair on its head was perched on this boy's shoulder. Standing at the right of this boy were two young men, one with brown hair and blue eyes, the other with jungle-camouflage clothing and a Meowth in boots and a hat sitting on his shoulder. On the left of the boy was a third man wearing a large hat and a dark-green cape, who was tucking a golden harp underneath his right arm. Ash's eyes widened as he recognized each and every one of these people.

"WHAT?!" he exclaimed happily. "I can't _believe_ it! RITCHIE! HARRISON, TYSON, NANDO!"

"PIKACHU!" Pikachu (Ash's, to be exact) cried happily at the sight of its fellow Pikachu.

"Hey there, Ash!" Ritchie cried as he and his companions approached the group. "It's been a while, hasn't it?!"

"Pika!" added Ritchie's Pikachu, Sparky.

"Yes, it's certainly been a while. I haven't seen you guys in years!"

"You got that right, Ash," Tyson replied, while his Meowth purred in greeting. "We should've kept contact with each other. So, how's it going? You here for the PWT?"

"You bet!" He then gestured to all of his friends, who waved back at the newest additions. "We all are! And I'm betting you four are doing the same."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, now would we?" said Harrison. "So, would you mind introducing us to your friends? I already recognize Brock, but who're the others?"

"Yes, please do, Ash," Nando added in his soothing voice.

"Oh yeah, that's right!" Ash gestured to each of his friends in turn. "To those who haven't met them, this is Serena, Bonnie-"

"HI THERE!" exclaimed Bonnie, smiling widely.

"-Brock, Cilan, Max, Dawn, Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, Macy, Angie, and Bianca." He turned to his friends. "Guys, these are the rivals we mentioned a couple of days ago: Ritchie, Harrison, Tyson, and Nando. Ritchie's the one with the Pikachu, Harrison has the brown hair, Tyson's has that Meowth, and Nando has that harp of his."

"Hey there," chorused everyone else in greeting, addressing the rivals they haven't met yet.

"It's nice to meet you all," Nando replied, bowing slightly. "I am so honored."

"Oh, Nando!" exclaimed Dawn, smiling. "The pleasure's all ours! It's good we could all meet up and come across new faces through the PWT."

"You got that right..._Dee-Dee_..." a new but familiar voice said jeeringly.

Dawn's eyes widened in horror. "Oh, no..." she moaned.

Everyone turned to their right and saw a teenage girl standing in the midst of the crowd. She had peach-colored hair styled into twin swirly pigtails and eyes as red as cherries, and there was a devious smirk curving her facial features, a smirk that reminded Serena of Miette's own. Perched on her shoulders were a Plusle and Minum duo, which caused Dawn's eyes to widen even more as her body froze. Piplup noticed and tried pulling his Trainer's boot to get her attention, but this effort failed.

"Not you..." Dawn continued to moan. "You can't be here..."

"And why shouldn't I be here?" the girl asked, crossing her arms. "I have every right to participate in the PWT as much as you do, Dee-Dee."

"Dee-Dee?" asked Bonnie, an eyebrow raised in confusion. "I'm sorry, miss, but we don't have a Dee-Dee in our group. You're probably confused-"

"Ah, I see you haven't told your new friends about your nickname, Dawn," interrupted the girl, still staring at Dawn.

"You keep your mouth SHUT, Ursula-" Dawn began.

"Or what? What're you gonna do, Dawn? Have that Piplup give me a little bath with Bubble Beam?" She snapped her fingers, causing her Plusle and Minum to hop off her shoulders and go into battle-ready positions. "You know, I would _love_ to show your new friends why your nickname is Dee-Dee. It should be _lovely_..."

"Alright, back off, Ursula," another voice said.

Everyone watched as Zoey and Kenny entered the fray, to Dawn's immense relief. Zoey was wearing a particularly stern expression on her face that intensified as she stared Ursula down. However, Kenny didn't seem to be paying attention to the situation at hand, his body straining from all the shopping bags he was forced to carry.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Top Coordinator," Ursula said, sneering mockingly at Zoey. "I thought you were supposed to be training for a performance?"

"Well, it's not until later," replied Zoey, a calm smile forming. "In fact, I arrived early." Then, her smile turned back into a frown. "Now, you stop giving Dawn trouble; she's having a really good time right now and she does not deserve to have it wrecked at the moment. And if you do not, I'll personally deal with you. And trust me-" The redheaded Top Coordinator pulled a Poké Ball out from her pocket. "-Glameow and I _won't_ go easy on you and your cute little Cheering Pokémon."

Ursula frowned bitterly, and the others sensed what she was thinking: she knew she couldn't stand a chance against Zoey, especially if the Top Coordinator seemed so confident in her claims. Finally, she gestured Plusle and Minum to return to their original positions on her shoulders, which they did.

"Fine," she replied, her voice smug. "I wasn't in the mood for a battle anyway. Not in this place especially." Then, she glared at Dawn. "But don't you dare think I'll let you off the hook for this. Your friends still need to learn why you're called Dee-Dee, and I'd be GLAD to give them that education. And don't believe I'll-"

"LOOK OUT, LOOK OUT, **LOOK OUT!**"

A familiar blur of yellow, orange, white, and charcoal-gray rushed past Zoey and Ursula, colliding hard into Ash and knocking both of them down to the floor.

"AGH!" Dawn squealed in shock.

"Oh no, Ash!" cried Serena, kneeling down to help her crush up. "Are-Are you okay?!"

"Pikapi!" Pikachu added in concern for his friend.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine, just fine, Serena..." Ash replied. Then, he looked at the person who collided into him rather unexpectedly. "_Barry_?"

"Ohhhhhhhhh, you are SO gonna pay me a FINE for standing in my way like that!" Barry snapped, not recognizing Ash. Within a split-second's notice, the hyperactive Twinleaf Town native sprung up on his feet and checked his watch. "I expect you to pay me up in ten, nine, eight, seven, six-"

"Relax, Barry!" Ash exclaimed, cutting him off. "It's me, it's just me!"

"Oh yeah, right, like I'd ever fall for that-" Then, he paused and inspected Ash closely. "Oh. It _is_ you, Ash." He rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Heh, my bad!"

Everyone sweat-dropped at Barry's clumsiness and lack of attention. ...Well, almost everyone.

"Hey, I think I'm gonna like this guy," Bianca piped, from out of the blue.

"Oh, will you now, Bianca?..." asked Cilan, sweat-dropping nervously.

As Ash stood up on his legs and helped Barry up, he suddenly remembered something.

"Hey, do you guys have backstage passes of your own?" he asked.

"Yeah," Ritchie replied, raising a small slip that he procured from his pocket. Harrison, Tyson, Nando, Zoey, Kenny, and (to Dawn's dismay) Ursula raised their own.

"What?!" exclaimed Barry. "Backstage passes?! Where did you manage to get those?!"

"Well, you usually win them in raffle contests," Brock replied, "but some of us got passes personally from Hilbert. He was kind enough to let us visit the backstage-"

"WHAT?! HOW'D HILBERT MANAGE TO GIVE YOU BACKSTAGE PASSES?!"

Unfortunately, Barry's loud outburst was overheard by more than a few people milling around in the entrance area. Within seconds, the entire group was surrounded by the other attendants, who all began demanding backstage passes of their own, autographs, or at least Hilbert's phone number. Eventually, it took everyone almost an hour to get out of the gargantuan mass of rabid fans in one piece without being noticed in the midst of all the madness.

"Come on, guys," Ash whispered as he led the others to the backstage rooms. "Before they notice we're all missing."

"We're all behind you, Ash!" replied Serena, beaming at her crush as she followed right behind him.

However, the group didn't notice they were leaving Barry behind. He was leaning against a wall, moping about his inability to get a backstage pass. To make matters even more worse for him, the other attendants noticed him and began to crowd around him yet again, bombarding him with unreasonable demands.

"Someone just grant me a backstage pass now so I can get out of this nightmare..." the hyperactive Trainer moaned. "Maybe I should fine someone for it..."

Meanwhile, out of the corner of Ash's eye, he could see the mysterious girl yet again. However, he ignored it. There was no way she was ruining this nice reunion...

* * *

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Cynthia ma'am," Jones said as the butler guided the tall blonde woman into the training room, where the Gym Leaders and other figures of significant public importance were preparing themselves for the next performance. "I must say, it's a shame you have been reduced to this level of ordinariness..."

"Oh, there's nothing to be concerned about, Jones," replied Cynthia, shaking her head. "Ever since I lost the title of Sinnoh Pokémon Champion, I have come to enjoy the lifestyle led by, say, regular, ordinary people. It is actually very peaceful. There's no concerns, no worries about the well-being of the Sinnoh region and its relics." Her eyes then softened. "Although..." She glanced at the door that led to the BW Agency stage. "...It'd be very nice to be back up there...at least once..."

"Maybe if you challenge the new Sinnoh Champion, you will have that chance. By the way, how is dear old Jervis doing?"

"Oh, he's doing well. He'll be by in an hour or so. He's just setting up my things at the hotel."

"Excellent. It would be nice to have some catching up with my dearest friend."

"Hey, well what do ya know?" a voice said. "It's Cynthia, in the flesh!"

Cynthia smiled softly at one of the voices that she found so familiar. Then, she and Jones found herself surrounded by four familiar people: the Sinnoh Elite Four.

"Speaking of dearest friends..." she said, addressing Jones.

"How have you been doing, Cynthia?" asked Aaron.

"Yes," Bertha added, "we haven't heard much from you ever since...you know..."

"It's okay, Bertha," Cynthia replied. "You don't have to treat what happened like it was an event no one should ever speak of." She shrugged dismissively. "I lost, and the victor took over as the Sinnoh Champion, just as Champion League rules dictate. The outcome of the battle was fair-"

"Yeah," snarled Flint disapprovingly. "The outcome of the battle was _totally_ fair. Well, not when the Trainer had a Darkrai and a Latios at his disposal!"

"Now, now, Flint," Lucian said, frowning at his colleague. "We mustn't be left reeling over this occurrence. As Cynthia said, the rules are the rules, and the battle was fair because of it. We cannot show preferences based solely on our associations with the people of concern. But enough of this rabble about fairness." He turned back to Cynthia, smiling kindly. "How have you been, Cynthia? I will admit things have been very..._uncomfortable_, to say the least, since the new Champion took over."

"Oh, I've been doing fine, you four," Cynthia replied, her smile widening. "It's been hard, no longer being the Sinnoh Champion, but I've adjusted to ordinary life. I've been thinking about retiring from the sport of Pokémon battling and taking up another subject. Probably gardening or something like that..."

"Can you imagine it?" Aaron said, his lip twitching. "Cynthia _gardening_?"

"Yeah, totally ridiculous," replied Flint. However, his face paled when Cynthia shot him a stern glare. "But it's totally plausible! I have complete faith in you, Cynthia!"

Cynthia flashed the Elite Four member an innocent smile. "Why, thank you for your support, Flint."

"Anyway, Ms. Cynthia," Jones said politely, interrupting the friendly conversation, "is there anything you perhaps wish to see or do backstage? People are still making preparations for the next performance. Maybe you could have some reunions with the Sinnoh Gym Leaders, or perhaps meet the Champions of other regions-"

"Why, hello there, Cynthia!" a voice cried, and Cynthia watched as two women approached her, one of them holding a camera. Their physical similarities caused her to believe the two of them were sisters. "My name is Alexa, for the Lumiose Press. This is Viola, my younger sister, and she's my camerawoman for the day. It's so good to actually be able to meet the famous former Sinnoh Champion in person, and with the Sinnoh Elite Four! Would you mind if I had a little interview with all of you?"

"And would you mind if I take a couple of photos?" asked Viola.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Flint replied. "I just got away from reporters." Then, he examined Alexa and Viola from head to toe. "But I'd be willing to make an exception for you-"

"_Cynthia_?" a young voice asked. "Is that _you_?"

Cynthia's eyes widened in surprise, and the blonde turned around to see Ash approaching her, his trusty Pikachu perched on his shoulder as usual. He was followed by a large group of other Trainers, most likely his friends. She recognized Dawn, Brock, and Cilan as being among the group, though she couldn't recognize any others.

"Well, well, well," she said in greeting, "if it isn't Ash Ketchum."

"Hey, Ash!" greeted Flint. "Whoa, should've known you'd be here, of all people! It's mighty good to see you again!"

"Pika pika!" Pikachu replied, smiling happily.

"It's good to see you again, Cynthia!" Ash exclaimed as he shook the former Sinnoh Champion's hand. Then, he spotted Alexa and Viola. "Hey there, Alexa!"

"Hi, Alexa!" Serena and Bonnie exclaimed.

"Hey, kids," Alexa replied, smiling. "It's good to see all of you again!"

"Yeah," added Viola, "and I see you're familiar with Cynthia? Hm, maybe I should have an interview with you all..."

"Well, I don't know who Cynthia is," Serena said bashfully. "Uh...who is she?"

"Oh, excuse me, Serena!" replied Ash. "This is Cynthia. I mentioned her to you a couple of times. She's the Sinnoh Pokémon Champion!"

"AND THE TRUE LOVE OF MY HEART!"

Everyone's eyes widened in surprise as Brock dramatically ran forward and knelt before Cynthia, taking her hand from Ash's and grasping it with such forced romantic gusto that it would've made a Glameow sick. Looking into his expression, one can assume the Pokémon Doctor had become stuck in his own little fantasy world.

"Oh, my dear Cynthia," Brock said with smooth grace, "it has been so long since these squinted eyes have laid themselves on you and your magnificence!"

"Uhhhhh..." was all Cynthia could say, a sentiment shared by Serena, Bonnie, and everyone else who had not seen Brock's romantics at play. Ash could only sigh and shake his head in embarrassment at his longtime friend's antics. It seemed like the Pokémon Doctor hadn't changed one bit...

"And now that we are back together," continued the hopeless romantic, "unified as one, once again, I can only say, from the bottom of my heart, that it was FATE that brought us back together, a divine force from the heavens!" For dramatic effect, he raised his unoccupied hand up into the air as it trembled with unknown energy. He now looked like he was an actor starring in a melodramatic Shakespearean play. "And together, we shall seize that fate and- **ACK!**"

Cynthia blinked and released Brock's hand, confused as to why her wannabe suitor suddenly became paralyzed. Then, she followed everyone else's eyes and saw that Brock's ever-so-reliable Croagunk had automatically popped out of its Poké Ball and delivered a tiny but effective Poison Jab to his nether regions. As Brock started to fall over, Misty suddenly appeared and, on instinct, grabbed his right ear, while Max grabbed his left ear. As for Croagunk, he merely grabbed the back of his shirt.

"More like fate has seized your ears and is dragging you away," Misty and Max deadpanned simultaneously as they and Croagunk dragged Brock away from Cynthia.

"Not the ears..." was all Brock could moan.

Once the four of them were gone, everyone else chuckled, most of them nervously. Then, Cynthia looked back at Ash and Serena.

"Anyway, Ash, um..." she said.

"Yeah, Cynthia?" replied Ash.

"When you mentioned me being the Champion...I'm not the Sinnoh Champion anymore... Someone defeated me in the Champion League and now holds that title."

"WHAT?!" Ash, Dawn, Brock, and Cilan cried.

"PIKA?!"

* * *

Elsewhere inside the tent, Adam, Lloyd, and Nick made their way through all of the security measures that were set up inside. They were able to convince the security guards that they were a news crew from a faraway region who were planning on interviewing Hilda White and Hilbert Black. Using their fake IDs, clever disguises, and all the equipment they purchased online, they were able to pass through with huge ease, much to their amusement. Adam was even able to excuse the surgical fabric covering the burnt half of his face by saying it was burned in a cooking accident, but that he chose to continue working his job despite his appearances.

The only thing that seemed to set their scheme back a little was...

"Will you stop speaking with that corny accent?!" snapped Adam as he slapped Nick in the back of the head. "It's drawing some unwarranted attention!"

"But we're from another region!" Nick protested. "We're foreigners, so we gotta BE foreign!"

"Well, not when that accent of yours is as corny as a low-budget Western flick! Drop the accent this instant, or I'll make sure you'll regret it!"

Nick frowned sadly, but replied, "Fine, boss..."

"Here we are," whispered Lloyd as the trio approached a set of doors underneath a sign reading 'TRAINING ROOM'. "The training room, where the targets are."

"Look at those _guards_..." Nick whimpered, pointing at a pair of muscular men patrolling the doors. "They're definitely more muscular than the ones at the entrance-"

"Don't _worry_, Nick," Adam interrupted, smiling craftily. "Remember our info. If we don't have any backstage passes, which we don't, we can get in with a password."

"Oh yeah, that's right!" Then, Nick gulped. "Uh...what was the password?"

Adam merely rolled his eyes and approached the doorway leading into the training room. The two guards spotted him and stared him down menacingly.

"Do you have a backstage pass?" one of them asked.

"No," Adam replied calmly.

"Then do you know the password?" the other guard asked.

"Black and white."

The first guard looked up at Lloyd and Nick, then glared back at Adam and replied, "You and your friends are clear to enter."

"Thank you very much, sirs."

The trio immediately went through the doorway, dragging their equipment behind them in boxes. Nick couldn't help but chuckle in excitement.

"Man, Adam," he said, "what would I do without ya?!"

"You'd suffer, that's what," Adam replied boastfully.

Seconds later, the trio came across a second doorway guarded by two security personnel, both even more muscular than the previous ones.

Nick blinked in shock. "Uhhhhh...was _that_ supposed to be there?..."

"Damn it," Adam muttered to himself. "He didn't tell us about a _second_ doorway and how to get through that one!"

"How may we help you, sir?" one of the guards asked, looking down at the disguised villain.

"Yeah, we would like to get into the training room. We're a, uh, news crew from a faraway region and we'd like to have an interview with the BW Agency Presidents."

"Do you have a backstage pass?"

"No."

"Do you know the password?" the second guard asked.

Adam's skin paled considerably. There was no way the first password would work on the second set of guards, not when security measures were meant to be tight. It was complete blasphemy for it to not be so! But unfortunately, he had no idea what the second password might be. It could be just about anything!

_"Aw, man,"_ he thought angrily. _"Dead end... Well, gotta put my skills of persuasion to good use!"_

The villain was about to make a clever response when someone grabbed him from behind and pulled him behind some of the larger news equipment.

"Damn it, Nick," he snarled, "what in Arceus's name do you think you're _doing_?"

"If my knowledge of action movies tells me anything," replied Nick, "then these guards will be intimidated by a tough-looking man speaking in a foreign language."

Adam responded with a deadpan expression, "That is the dumbest logic I've EVER heard."

"Adam, please, let me handle this."

"But Nick-"

However, the bumbling accomplice was already walking towards the two guards, both of whom were now staring him down intensely. To Adam's surprise, Nick wasn't intimidated by them like he usually would be. Instead, there was an aura of confidence around him. Was this actually going to work?...

"What's your business, sir?" one of the guards asked.

"_Au revoir_," Nick growled coolly.

...

"That means goodbye," the second guard replied.

Nick's eyes widened in surprise as the two guards crossed their arms impatiently. Then, he looked back at Adam and Lloyd with an innocent smile, causing the former to sigh furiously and slap his forehead lightly with his palm at his comrade's stupidity, while the latter giggled sadistically at Nick's misfortune. Adam honestly couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. It was a blunder to top all other blunders Nick has committed. Guess that logic of his couldn't work after all...

_"There goes our plan,"_ Adam thought.

Suddenly, Lloyd, still snickering, shouldered Nick aside and approached the two guards, his hand in his pocket. Upon spotting this, Adam's eyes widened.

_"Oh no, Lloyd!"_ he shouted in his thoughts. _"You'd better not be doing what I _think _you're doing! I swear to Arceus-"_

To his immense relief, the red-haired man instead drew out a large wad of Poké Dollars and waved it in front of the guards' faces. At first, the two men did not display any sort of reaction to the tempting cash that was being offered to them. However, after a minute, one guard took the wad out of Lloyd's hand, while the other guard silently opened up the door leading into the training room, nodding approvingly at the trio. Adam gasped in relief, while Nick blinked his eyes in surprise.

"Thank _Arceus_, Lloyd," Adam whispered to his psychopathic accomplice as the latter returned to gather the equipment. "You're a LIFESAVER."

"Y-Ye-Yeah..." said Nick, rubbing the back of his head. "Th-That was what I was gonna do next..."

Adam merely shook his head in disappointment and Lloyd giggled as the two carried the equipment through the doorway. Nick sighed sadly and followed after them.

...

"By the way," one of the guards said as Adam passed him, "what happened to your face, man?"

"Stupid Fennekin burned it..." growled the villain, his good eye glinting.

* * *

Elsewhere inside the tent, Floyd was packing up the last of his supplies. Then, he perked his head up, having somehow sensed something. His eyes narrowed...

* * *

"So _Tobias_ is the brand-new Sinnoh Champion?" Ash asked, remembering the Trainer with the Darkrai and the Latios, who he battled at the Sinnoh League.

Cynthia nodded. "Yes," she replied. "He was able to defeat me in the Champion League with his Darkrai and Latios alone."

"Wow," Dawn said, her eyes wide. "And all this time, I thought Cynthia was strong, strong enough to even handle a guy like Tobias!"

"No one's perfect, Dawn. And besides, I think I've been the Sinnoh Champion for far too long. It's about time the Sinnoh League had some fresh new blood."

"But not when that fresh new blood is a guy like Tobias!" Brock shouted, having recovered from the punishment dealt on him from Misty, Max, and Croagunk. "You're a one of a kind, a pure wonder! You...You're the only one who is suited for my heart, and no one else! You mustn't degrade yourself like this, Cynthia!"

"Are you _sure_ you're talking about Cynthia's former status as Champion?..." Misty asked in a deadpan tone.

"I, uh, I do appreciate your unconditional support, Brock," Cynthia said, smiling nervously at the Pokémon Doctor, "but I am perfectly fine. The rules of the Champion League have made it crystal-clear. If someone like Tobias defeated me, then he certainly deserves the title of Pokémon Champion. He could've turned the offer down, but he accepted it without any second thoughts, and for that, I wished him the best of luck in his new endeavor."

"Speaking of Tobias," Ash said, looking around in the training room, "how come I haven't seen him around?"

"Yeah," Dawn added. "Everyone participating in the PWT should be in Lumiose City by now."

"Well..." Flint replied, crossing his arms and frowning bitterly, "Tobias has this, eh, _bad habit_ of not being prompt. Even when he has the responsibilities of the Sinnoh Champion, he treats his schedule with very little care. I wouldn't be surprised if he missed out on the PWT completely. The guy's shady no matter what-"

"Flint," Lucian said sternly, "don't disrespect our new Champion."

"Are you seriously not upset by the guy missing out on more than a few special occasions? Including a _challenge_ in the Champion League?!"

"It is not within our power to simply protest against the Champion's activities. It is the Champion League's job-"

"And they're doing jack-sh-" began a furious Flint.

However, Bertha covered Flint's mouth before he can wander into profane territory. "Hush now, Flint!" she scolded, gesturing to Bonnie. "There are _children_ present!"

"Yeah, Flint," Cynthia said, frowning disapprovingly. "And besides, I've said it before, and I am going to say it again: I am really fine with my current status. It's been a peaceful, relaxing year. I am not gonna repeat myself on this issue. Why can't you just be happy for your new Sinnoh Champion?"

"He's always had an odd feeling about the new guy, that's why," Aaron replied. He then looked at Flint. "Just because the guy's shady doesn't mean-"

"Oh, his shadiness has _always_ been the problem," interrupted Flint. "I _know_ there's something up with that guy..."

"Alright, enough," Jones piped sternly. "As much as I am upset about Cynthia being stripped of her former title, I didn't assemble this little reunion just to have all of you quarrel over trivial matters. Aaron, Bertha, Flint, Lucian, I suggest you all resume training your best Pokémon. The performance is in another half-hour."

"Yes, Jones," replied Aaron, Bertha, and Lucian simultaneously.

"Yeah, sure, why not?" replied Flint, a little late. He still looked upset about the whole subject.

As the Sinnoh Elite Four left, Cynthia turned back to Ash and the others.

"I sincerely apologize about that, everyone," she said. "My defeat happened almost a year ago, so it's still fresh on the minds of. I never knew I was this popular."

"Of course you are!" Brock exclaimed, hearts replacing his squinted eyes. "You are the love of my life!"

"Are you _sure_ you're talking about Cynthia's former status as Champion?..." Misty and Max both asked in deadpan tones.

"So, Cynthia," said Ash, "why're you here, if you're no longer the Sinnoh Champion?"

"Oh, you know, I just wanted to check the tournament out, do some sightseeing" Cynthia replied. "Just because I'm no longer the Champion doesn't mean I no longer have a right to come to tournaments and other occasions. As a matter of fact-" She pulled out a backstage pass; it was colored light-green unlike the others'. "-being a former Champion has given me some new privileges. I was immediately given this special guest pass by the BW Agency, which gives me and anyone accompanying me very easy access to many venues of interest in the PWT. I can just flash it to the security detail and they'll guide me to special seats and other cool things."

"Wow, that's cool!"

"Since I know you so well, Ash, you and all of your friends can be covered with this special guest pass. I'll take you to places inaccessible to the rest of the public."

"Well, while we'd like that, Cynthia," Cilan replied, "we actually have something better than a special guest pass."

Cynthia raised an eyebrow. "Really? And that is?"

"Hey, Ash, Serena!" a voice called. Everyone turned to see Hilbert approaching the group, Tepig trotting beside him.

"Hey, Hilbert!" replied Ash, smiling widely at the sight of his new friend.

"Sorry I was a bit late. I got caught up in some hectic scheduling."

"No problem. You were great out there on the stage!"

"Yeah!" Serena added, her eyes bright. "You were AMAZING!"

"Oh, thanks Serena," replied Hilbert, blushing at her compliment. "All I thought about onstage was you, you know. That's what helped me through it."

Serena blinked. "Oh. Really?"

"Really?" Ash repeated, looking especially flabbergasted.

"Yeah, of course! I mean, all of those words of encouragement you told me yesterday, they really touched me. And I knew that as long as I remembered those words, then I'd be okay up there. And...And..." Hilbert suddenly embraced Serena in a tight, almost loving hug, startling Ash in the process. "Thank you for that."

"Oh. Y-Yo-You're welcome..." Serena stuttered in response, surprised by the president's sudden move.

The others watched the nice scene in front of them. Everyone looked touched by the raw emotional quality of the exchange, with the exception of Ash, who appeared confused and upset by what he was seeing, and Bonnie, who was smirking deviously. The little girl skipped beside Serena and nudged her side with her elbow.

"Does Serena have a husband she can call her own?" she asked.

Serena and Hilbert both blushed and immediately broke the hug.

"NO!" they shouted at once.

However, Bonnie didn't listen; instead, she sighed sadly. "If only Clemont could find himself a wife that could take care of him, easily too..."

As if on cue, Clemont shouted, "OH, ASH, THANK ARCEUS YOU'RE HERE!"

The inventor dashed towards Ash and nearly collided into him. Everyone was surprised to see his hair neatly combed, and he was wearing a nice black suit. In spite of his admittedly good new looks, Clemont looked obviously uncomfortable with the radical change that was brought upon him.

"Uh, hey Clemont," Ash said. "What's up?"

"COME BACK, CLEMONT!" a voice squealed, and within seconds, Lisia ran up to the inventor, followed closely by two other girls.

"Oh, come on!" Clemont moaned. "Please, please, no more! I'm done!"

"But we forgot the last, most exciting part!" Lisia exclaimed, looking bubbly. "Lisia's kiss of approval!"

"NOOOOO!"

To make things worse, Bonnie smiled happily and said, "Hey, Clemont! You finally found your wife!"

"No, no, no, no, NO! **NO!**" Clemont hid behind Ash, trembling in fear. "I am NOT having that kiss of approval!"

"Oh, come on, Lisia," said one of Lisia's compatriots, a teenage girl with blue hair. "It's obvious Clemont doesn't enjoy it. Leave him alone."

"Awww, you're no _fun_, Marina!" Lisia moaned. She then looked at the other girl, who had a stoic expression and pink hair and eyes. "How about you, Courtney? Think I should leave poor ol' Clemont alone like Marina says, or should I put the final, most important touches on his excellent makeover!"

"First option, first option, first option!" Clemont pleaded, beseeching the pink-haired woman. "PLEASE!"

However, before Courtney could respond, someone suddenly screamed, "OH MY ARCEUS, **LISIA**!"

Dawn and Zoey frowned as they glared at Ursula, who looked completely starstruck. She was about to rush towards Lisia when Ash suddenly stepped between them.

"Come on, Lisia," he said. "Clemont's not enjoying what you're doing to him. If you're gonna keep bothering him, then you're gonna have to go through me first."

"PIKA!" Pikachu cried in agreement.

"Thank you, Ash!" Clemont exclaimed, relieved.

"HEY!" Ursula shrieked.

Lisia's eyes widened at Ash's determination to protect his friend, even from something as harmless as a makeover (at least, in her opinion). Remembering him as the extraordinarily cute friend of May's who she met at the party, the Contest Idol grinned widely. A bright blush appeared on her face; she was interested in him now.

"Sorry about that!" she replied before taking his arm. "I definitely remember you! You're May's friend! The cute one! Ash, right?"

"Y-Yeah..." Ash said, blushing at being called cute.

"Say, would you like to see me do some-?"

"HANDS OFF, LISIA!" a voice roared. Everyone glanced to see yet another new arrival, none other than May, stomp towards the Contest Idol.

"Oh, May!" Lisia exclaimed innocently, remembering her friend had a crush on Ash as well. "I-It's very nice to s-see you-"

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT NONSENSE, LISIA! YOU KNOW VERY WELL THAT ASH IS HANDS-OFF MATERIAL!"

"Since when? I was just interacting with him as a friend. Isn't that what you told me he'd do? Be friends with everyone? Why can't a girl be friends with him?"

"BECAUSE...BECAUSE..." May hesitated. "BECAUSE HE'S-"

Dawn immediately rushed forward and clasped her hand over May's mouth. "NO! You are NOT gonna claim Ash for yourself! He's-"

"No," interrupted Misty, her face red, "he's MINE. And no one else can have him. NO ONE."

"No, Ash is mine!" Macy snarled.

"No, he's MINE!" Angie growled, staring down Macy ferociously.

"No, mine!" Dawn snapped.

"NO, HE'S MINE!" two voices shouted. Melody and Anabel, having overheard what was going on, appeared on the scene and joined the circle of arguing girls.

"MINE!" Misty cried, grabbing Dawn by her shirt and throttling her, allowing May to escape from her fellow Coordinator's grasp and take Ash's unoccupied arm.

"Come on, Ash, let's get away from this," the Top Coordinator said, smiling cutely up at him.

"Hey, what do ya think you're doing, _May_?" Lisia asked, still holding onto Ash's other arm. "I was gonna show him my performing with Ali!"

"Oh, there's no way you were planning on doing that! I've known you for years! I can read you like a book, Lisia!"

As the girls argued, everyone else watched the scene unfold. Ritchie, Harrison, Tyson, Cynthia, Jones, Alexa, and Viola watched in shock, unsure of what exactly was going on in front of them. Bianca looked apprehensive as ever, wondering if she should pitch in. Serena and Hilbert looked disappointed from what was happening for some reason. Everyone else was sighing and shaking their heads in disappointment, realizing that they should've known this kind of thing was going to happen again eventually. The only one who didn't exhibit any reaction to the chaos was Nando, who was merely looking around as everyone else in the training room glanced at the direction of the girls, their attentions having been caught by the escalating bickering. Some looked extremely bothered by the disruption.

"I suggest this chaos stop immediately," he said calmly, "before things get even more troublesome."

However, none of the girls seemed to hear him, as the arguing continued. Ash and Pikachu sweat-dropped at the trouble the former was apparently causing.

"Can someone tell me what's going on?" called Bugsy, the Azalea Town Gym Leader.

"Yeah, what's with these girls arguing?!" Lt. Surge snapped.

"Uh-huh," Humilau City Gym Leader Marlon added, "and it's totally not cool!"

Upon noticing that everyone else was becoming agitated, one by one, Cynthia narrowed her eyes at the arguing girls. Then, she cleared her throat...

...And shouted sternly, at the top of her voice, "ALRIGHT GIRLS, YOU ALL BE QUIET!" Once all of the girls fell deathly silent, she continued, "Look, I do not know what it is about Ash that's causing you all to snap at each other's necks like a Seviper and a Zangoose, nor do I WISH to know. But I am **NOT** going to tolerate any childish roughhousing when I purely intend to explore the PWT and watch all of the competition. So, are you all going to behave like children, or as responsible Trainers?"

"Yes, girls," Norman said sternly, looking at May specifically. When she blushed, Max couldn't help but beam. "You should all be ashamed of yourselves."

The girls looked at one another, then let out a collective sigh. They knew they had done it again, and now, they upset Cynthia and a whole lot of other people.

"Sorry," they all chorused.

...

"Hmmmmm..." Alexa said. "Maybe I should do a serious interview with Ash sometime..."

As for Viola, she sneaked a couple of photos with her camera.

* * *

Right after the girls' argument ended, Adam, Lloyd, and Nick entered the training room at the same time, carrying their camera and other news equipment with them. Having just answered the guard's question about his half-burnt face, Adam was still seething at the memory of his encounter with Serena and her Fennekin. He hoped this mission would be over with as soon as possible, for he had the temptation to punch someone next to him, which happened to be the incompetent Nick.

The entire time, the trio never noticed the fact that they were in the same room as the same four children they encountered in the forest a few months back...

Suddenly, to Adam's misery, Nick gasped at the sight of all the celebrities in front of him. His entire body was trembling with joyous energy.

"Oh my Arceus, oh my Arceus, oh my ARCEUS!" he squealed. "So many celebrities!"

"Don't you dare-" began Adam, but it was too late; Nick had already dashed towards the nearest celebrity.

"It's Fantina!" The bumbling villain began shaking the hand of the dual Gym Leader-Top Coordinator. "Oh, I am SUCH a huge fan! I've seen all your performances! You are just AMAZING at Pokémon Contests! And to top that, you're a Gym Leader too?! Oh, you're just twice the bundle of awesomeness and fantasticness and stuff!"

"Uh..._merci_?" replied a confused Fantina.

"Ohhhhh, you're welcome!" Nick cried, bubbling with joy. "You're welcome, you're SO welcome!"

"You don't know the meaning of _au revoir_," Adam snarled to himself, "but you know the meaning of _merci_? Idiot."

Then, Nick moved on to Erika. "And you're Erika! Oh, your perfumes are just, like, THE BEST."

"Uhhhhh...thank you?..." Erika replied.

"OHHHHH, YOU'RE WELCOME!" Nick gasped as he moved onto another celebrity. "IT'S **ELESA**!" He bowed before the Nimbasa City Gym Leader. "MARRY ME!"

"Are you kidding me?..." Adam snarled to himself as he and Lloyd approached Nick. "NICK! Don't we have an _interview_ to make?"

"Oh yes, that's right." Suddenly, he spotted Wallace, and his eyes sparkled with joy. "WALLACE! WALLACE, WALLACE, **WALLACE**!"

Adam shook his head in disappointment. "Oh, dear Arceus..."

"WALLACE!" Nick shouted as he approached the former Hoenn Champion and began shaking his hand. "Oh, it's such an honor to meet you! You're tied with Fantina as my favorite Top Coordinator in, like, existence!" He then stared at Wallace's Milotic, which was out of its Poké Ball. "And you're Milotic is just ASTOUNDING!"

Unlike the others who were approached by Nick, Wallace was calm. In fact, he seemed to be basking in the attention he was receiving, to everyone else's surprise.

"Why, thank you," he replied. "It is an honor to meet such devoted and dedicated fans."

"So, have you started dating Winona again? I think the two of you were absolutely CUTE together!"

Upon hearing Winona's name, the skin on Wallace's face paled considerably. Though he maintained his calm demeanor, he looked as if he was about to crumble at any moment. Conveniently, Winona was nearby and within earshot; her skin too had paled, and she was ready to explode at the closest object...

"Alright, alright!" Lisia snapped, approaching Nick. "Hands off my uncle! He doesn't need to be reminded of that!"

"Wallace is Lisia's uncle?!" Ash whispered in the background.

Upon focusing his eyes on Lisia, Nick gasped in surprise and knelt before the Contest Idol.

"LISIA!" he cried. "MARRY M-"

"Okay, that's it!" Adam growled as he grabbed the back of Nick's shirt. "You're officially sicker than THIS GUY!" He pointed at Lloyd, who snickered maliciously.

"I was gonna ask her if she could marry my son."

The green-haired man blinked in surprise. "You...You have a _son_? Since when did have kids?!"

"It was during our stay in the Unova region, remember? I had a couple of children with some woman before getting a restraining order!"

"How long ago was that?"

"I don't know, five, six years ago... I-It's-It's hard to tell when you're on the r-"

Realizing what Nick was about to say, Adam covered his mouth, cutting him off. "Shut up!" he whispered nastily.

In the meantime, Lisia deadpanned, "Wait, you're son is about five years old?"

"Mm-hm..." Nick replied, his voice muffled by his superior's hand.

"I'm seventeen, and you're asking _me_ to marry your _five-year-old_ son."

Nick and everyone else in the room sweat-dropped at Lisia's remark, while Adam glared daggers at his comrade and snarled, "Yep, you're even worse than him."

Lloyd giggled feverishly again as Nick blushed a bright red.

"Uh, pardon me," Hilbert piped, breaking up the forming tension, "but, um... Who exactly _are_ you guys again?"

"Oh, that's right!" Adam exclaimed as he shoved Nick away and straightened out his suit. "Start recording, Nick!"

"Got it!" Nick replied as he pressed a button on the camera he was still holding.

Adam approached Hilbert, procuring a microphone from his pocket and said, "Blake E. Blake, from Aneres News. I would like to interview you and your partner, Hilda White, about the Pokémon World Tournament and all of its, uh, _wondrous accomplishments_. So, uh, where is your lovely partner anyway?"

Nick raised an eyebrow as he lowered the camera. "Wait a minute," he said, "cut, cut, CUT!"

"What?" Adam glared back at his inferior. "You don't say 'cut' in the middle of a live news report!"

"Wait, _Blake E. Blake_? Wha-What _is_ that?"

"That's my name, idiot." He subtly winked at Nick, who didn't seem to notice. Then, he looked back at Hilbert. "Don't mind him, he's the new guy-"

"No, no, I've been working at Aneres News for DECADES, longer than you have, actually! I'm a veteran at this job! I'm actually a reporter myself, a well-distinguished and highly-respected anchorman!" His chest swelled with pride as he continued with his rant. "In fact, I'm just filling in for the new guy, who happens to be him!"

Nick pointed at Lloyd, who frowned disapprovingly at him. Hilbert raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"Wait, so who's doing the interviewing?" he asked.

"Me, ME!" Adam snarled. "I'M doing the interviewing! Ignore the cameraman, he's a bit cuckoo-crazy!"

"No," Nick countered, being carried away by his rebellion against his boss, "YOU'RE the cuckoo one! I mean, you've got that obsession with some girl with a Fennekin, and-and you give yourself such a silly name. I mean, who in the world calls themselves Blake E. Blake?! I thought you were better than this, A-!"

"NICK, SHUT UP!"

As the entire group watched Adam and Nick arguing while Lloyd was snickering sadistically in the corner, Ash and his friends all sweat-dropped at the sight. However, Brock seemed to be focused on the right side of Adam's face, which was completely covered in a strange surgical fabric.

"Excuse me," he said, catching Adam's attention, "what happened to your face?"

"Stupid Fennekin burned me with its accursed Ember, that's what happened!" the disguised villain snapped, not facing the Doctor and, therefore, Serena. "It's such a funny, funny, **FUNNY** story, really, because that Fennekin wasn't wild. It JUST so happened to have a stinking little _girl_ commanding it to do this to me!"

"Man, that's too bad," Ash said, shaking his head sympathetically.

Still, Adam wasn't facing Ash and the others as he snarled, "No, it's worse than bad! It's BEDLAM! I've spent these past few months in ABSOLUTE PAIN!"

"I'm sorry to hear that," Hilbert said. "You know, the BW Agency can donate money for your surgery-"

However, Adam ignored him and continued, "Oh, I'm SO gonna get that g-"

"HEY, EVERYONE!" a voice hollered, catching everyone's attention. "What's going on?" Hilda strolled into the training room, followed by a pair of muscular guards. She then spotted Adam standing next to Hilbert, and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, Hilbert! Who-Who's that guy standing next to you?"

"Oh, Hilda!" replied Hilbert happily. "This is, uh, ahem-" He struggled to make sure he didn't laugh. "This is Blake E. Blake, from Aneres News. He's interviewing us."

Hilda blinked in shock. "Blake E. Blake? Aneres News? Wait a minute, I have a registry of news channels covering the PWT...and Aneres News ISN'T one of them..."

Nick's jaw dropped open in shock. "Uh-oh..." he whispered.

"We're screwed," Lloyd growled, giggling as if he just told a funny joke.

"Okay, if you're not an actual news crew," Ash demanded, "then who exactly _are_ you guys?! Tell us!"

Adam, Lloyd, and Nick looked at one another, knowing that their cover has been blown. Nodding at each other, they then tore off their disguises.

"Prepare for trouble!" Nick shouted as he tore off his disguise and revealed his true self.

"And make it double!" Adam roared as he tore off his own disguise.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all- Wait, wait, WAIT!" Adam glared at Nick with a furious expression. "What in the world was THAT?! What're you DOING?!"

"I-I have _no_ idea..." Nick replied, confused.

"Guys, let's shut up and grab the payday!" Lloyd snarled.

Ash, Pikachu, Clemont, and Bonnie gasped upon recognizing the trio. "YOU!" they all chorused.

Adam's good eye widened in surprise (and pleasure) as he and his accomplices turned around and faced the black-haired Trainer and his friends. His eye immediately focused on Serena, who too had recognized the villains from the forest. Her posture had gone rigid, and while there was a furious expression on her face, Adam could sense the immeasurable fear mixed with it...and that was EXACTLY how he liked it. As soon as he and Serena locked eyes, a malicious grin appeared on his face.

"**YOU!**" screeched Serena. Adam noticed that she had changed her look completely since he last saw her, but regardless, he knew he was still looking at the same girl who battled his Delphox with a mere Fennekin and somehow defeated him, then relentlessly burned half of his face.

"Well, well, well," he said. "It's SO good to see you again...little Serena..."

* * *

Outside the tent, a large bank of dark clouds approached Lumiose City. A loud rumbling noise could be heard...

* * *

_"I absolutely do not believe in the Pokémon World Tournament. The only thing it could ever accomplish is more conflict, a complete contradiction of the purpose of its foundation. Since it will congregate many peoples of different ideals, biases, and motivations, which would never find similarities with one another, it won't be long until that boils over. Then, the PWT will be nothing but **a ferocious festivity** of people wallowing in challenging, insulting, and degrading others' own beliefs, up to the point of fistfights, and probably worse. And once chaos reigns, it will probably be strong enough to burn the entire world. Considering how well world peace has gone for the human race, that is why I do not believe in the Pokémon World Tournament."_

–Conservative Unova politician Andrew Griffith

* * *

**Next time on "Judgment's Fall"**

**Adam:** I can see Delphox has waited a _long_ time for this...

**Bonnie:** YOU TRAITOR!

**Sid:** Release the Electric-types!

**Rhonda:** There's chaos going on in the Pokémon World Festival!

**Serena:** Let's do this, everyone! Together!

**Lloyd:** *cackles madly*

**Serena:** It's time to settle this, Adam! Once and for all!

**Chapter 11: A Raging Flame**

* * *

**A/N:** Well, I know Ash got some pity badges at some point in his journeys in Kanto. I definitely know Erika gave him one, but I don't know about any others.

Anyway, this turned out to be the longest chapter for the story since Chapter 2! Wow! To be honest, I had to revise the entire second half of this chapter. The scenario I initially had for it didn't pan out the way I planned it, so I had to restart that second half from scratch. I also realized I was dishing out this chapter a bit too quickly, since there was a schedule I wanted to stick to for this story. But I guess when you care about your product, you screw your schedule over and focus on the writing.

All that aside, I'm SO GLAD I got done with this chapter. Next chapter will finally launch something I've been ITCHING to write: AN ACTION SEQUENCE. The past few chapters were just all buildup, buildup, buildup, full of character interactions and nothing more. I am always a sucker for action, so it was a bit hard for me to get this sucker down so I could get on with the next chapter. Fortunately for you guys, this means we won't have to deal with focusing on multiple storylines right now.

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

**King nintendo (guest reviewer):** Glad to hear you love this story! And yes, Serena will DEFINITELY have problems with Adam again.

**Gyga (guest reviewer):** You'll see about that mysterious girl... ;)

**Ejennings167:** I'm sorry if you don't like the story anymore. This is what happens when I try to bounce back and forth between many subplots and reintroducing an enormous amount of familiar characters. As for my other stories, I DID say "Judgment's Fall" is gonna be my main project, so the others will be side-stories for now.

**ajani's apprentice:**

1) Well, not really much of a confrontation, but there'll be one in the next chapter!

2) Iris will appear soon. As for Gary, he'll appear too, but not at the moment. Also, Iris WON'T have a crush on Ash (not that I mean to imply through this that I don't like NegaiShipping; I would gladly write a NegaiShipping fic down if I have a good idea). She'll have something else to be occupied by...

3) These guys will reappear in the next chapter, so don't worry. And yes, Paul does have his respect for Ash still. He just has his own way of showing it. ;)

4) YES. :D

5) Oh...you'll see... ;)

**ChE clarinetist:**

1) Actually, that's gonna be in the next chapter. Don't worry, I'll get it done soon!

2) Yes, we'll see some scenes like that. But's what better is what I have planned for her and a certain other character... ;)

3) Good. I need the girl to be kept in the shadows for the time being! :D

**justareadersofar:** YES! I'm SO GLAD you noticed the connotation between the 'Hoenn Missile Crisis' and the 'Cuban Missile Crisis'! I'm so HAPPY! :D And there'll be more real-life events that'll be referenced in future chapters. Sadly...one of them is going to be in Chapter 15, and it's something too tragic... You'll find out what it is.

**SetsunaRay:** XD

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	13. A Raging Flame

**A/N: I. WILL. NOT. REPEAT. MYSELF.**

This fic's going to be AN AMOURSHIPPING FIC. **PERIOD.** Why in God's name would I put "Ash/Serena, AmourShipping, SatoSere" ON THE FIC'S FREAKING SUMMARY if it was going to be all for NOTHING?! There is no absolute freaking way I'm going to just put all those details in the story header, purely for the lols, or just suddenly forget about them. There's a good reason the details are in that header, let alone THREE DIFFERENT TITLES OF THE SAME THING.

For all of those people who are asking me if this is still an AmourShipping story, well, **GO READ THE DAMN SUMMARY**. Do you people READ the summary when you jump into one of my stories? Please, I really want to know, because if people are asking me something that indicates they haven't read it, then we might have a bit of a problem here, because I'm starting to feel like people are reading my stories because my name's attached to it or something.

...

Alright, now that THAT'S out of the way, I apologize for that outburst. I've received one too many questions about if the story will still be AmourShipping or not, and I have completely lost my patience with the topic. I just can't believe so many people have asked about it when the answer's plastered on the summary. I had a feeling this kind of thing would happen (after all, I also meant for the story to be a semi-harem, mostly between Ash and many of his female friends), hence why I put three names of the same thing in the summary, but I did not expect so many people to be ignorant on the issue. It's just unbelievable. No real offense intended.

OKAY. Rant out of the way, I shall commence with the chapter. ENJOY!

**P.S.:** If someone STILL ASKS if this is an AmourShipping story via PM or review, I'm BLOCKING his or her account. No second chances. Or, if it's anonymous reviewer, I'm just gonna delete his or her review. Consider this my first policy for this story. I'm done with this. If you REALLY want to know, CHECK THE SUMMARY, PLEASE.

* * *

**The Pokémon World Festival  
The Prism Tower**

"**YOU!**" screeched Serena.

"Well, well, well," Adam said. "It's SO good to see you again...little Serena..."

_**"Delphox? Teach that annoying little girl the grownup version of timeout."**_

_**"Foolish girl. HEAVY SLAM AGAIN, AGGRON!"**_

_**"You're a fool, Serena, to make these foolish choices. And now, you and your Fennekin will DIE because of it."**_

_**"DELPHOX, USE MYSTICAL FIRE!"**_

_**"Either way, someone **_**will**_** die. And **_**you're**_** gonna have to watch and relish in your foolishness."**_

_**"COME ON OUT, LITTLE SERENA!"**_

Serena's eyes widened in horror as the memories of Adam menacing her and her friends without a shred of remorse returned to her mind. She could NOT believe she was facing the man who haunted her nightmares for weeks, for a second time, during the Pokémon World Tournament of all occasions! Though she stared back at the nefarious villain with an expression of unwavering courage and confidence, she could feel her heart hammering against her sternum in fear.

She was really hoping she wouldn't have to battle him again... What if she screwed up unlike last time?...

"Do you _know_ these guys?" Misty asked, looking at Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie, who were all glaring angrily at the villains.

"Yes," replied Ash through clenched teeth. "They're crooks who care for nothing other than themselves!"

"That sounds an awful like Team Rocket," replied Cilan.

"No," Clemont said suddenly. His hand unconsciously moved to his stomach and rubbed it. "They're _worse_ than Team Rocket. WAY worse."

"And prrrooooouuud of it!" Lloyd exclaimed before bursting out into maniacal laughter that reverberated all around the room.

"YOU BIG, BIG, BIG MEANIES!" Bonnie shouted. "WHAT'RE _YOU_ DOING HERE?!"

"DEDENNE!" the Antenna Pokémon chirped furiously.

"Kidnapping these two, that's what," Adam replied, sneering as Lloyd and Nick abruptly grabbed the nearby Hilbert and Hilda, respectively. "For a nice little _ransom_."

"SIR, MADAM!" Jones exclaimed in worry.

"Don't you dare think of moving!" Cynthia roared as she procured a Poké Ball from her pocket and threw it, unleashing her Garchomp, which roared triumphantly and startled Adam, Lloyd, and Nick. The others in the training room followed suit, including Ash and all of his friends. Soon, the trio of villains were surrounded by dozens of powerful Pokémon, all of whom encircled their opponents and growled viciously at them, preventing them from making an escape.

"Yeah, and it was going well until _someone_ screwed up the plan," growled Lloyd, glaring at Adam while Hilbert tried to struggle against his grip. "Nice going, boss."

"Hey, don't blame me, idiot!"

"Yeah, well, what kind of news channel is called Aneres News?!" Nick exclaimed fearfully as Hilda tried to break free from his arms. "What kind of news anchorman is named _Blake E. Blake_?! Those so-called NAMES of yours got our cover blown! At least I'M not the one who screwed up the plan, BOSS!"

"Hey, I put some effort into thinking up those names! Now SHUT UP! We've gotta make our getaway-"

"Oh, no you don't!" Ash said as Pikachu hopped off his shoulder and glared at the villainous trio, his cheeks sparkling with electricity.

"You thieves aren't going ANYWHERE!" Serena snarled, the Performer stepping beside the black-haired Trainer. "ESPECIALLY not with Hilbert and Hilda!"

"Oh?" Adam replied, an eyebrow raised. His cruel sneer returned as he took a step closer, his eyes fixated on Serena, her skin paling as his pupils, both his good one and his damaged one, flared up with energy. "What're you gonna do to stop us, _little Serena_?" His eyes narrowed. "Would ya like to hear a nice little story?"

"You get away from Serena, you sicko!" snapped Ash as he stepped in front of Serena to protect her.

However, he continued, peering over Ash's shoulder and into Serena's sapphire eyes, "Once upon a time, there was a poor man who decides to rob some stores to get some money for himself. But while getting away from his latest robbery, he gets lost in the woods and accidentally starts a wildfire."

"Hey, that sounds _oddly_ familiar-" began Nick.

"Of course it does, idiot! I'm talking about ME during that time in the FOREST!"

"So, where do _I_ fit into the story?"

"You don't!"

"But I was there-"

"I don't care, just-just SHUT UP! ...AW, CRAP! You ruined the story for me, and I was trying to be all menacing and stuff! **IDIOT!**"

Nick flinched and wailed, "Please don't hurt me!"

Growling furiously, Adam glanced back at Serena and snarled, "Well, what I was _planning_ on saying was that..." He clenched his fists so tightly they began to tremble. "You..._You_ RUINED my life, ever since that battle we had in that forest! ...No, I'm wrong, that WASN'T a battle! It was more like a _botched_, _miserable_, POOR EXCUSE of a freaking battle! You and that Fennekin of yours, you both CHEATED, and what was the justice I got?!" He pointed to the scarred half of his face. **"_THIS_!"**

"I didn't cheat!" proclaimed Serena boldly as she stepped out of Ash's protection. "It was a fair battle! I didn't win just because of a fluke that went in my favor! I won because of the bond I had with my Fennekin, and the determination I had to protect all of my friends!" She pointed at the scarred half of Adam's face, a smile curving her facial features. "And that? Oh, that was _certainly_ justice. Now you _know_ how all of those poor forest Pokémon would've felt if they had lost their home, or worse!"

"Yeah, you tell that meanie, Serena!" Bonnie cried, her fist raised in encouragement.

"Dedenne!" added Dedenne, smiling happily.

In the meantime, Ash and Hilbert were both looking at Serena, looking impressed with her brief speech. As for Adam, he looked infuriated.

"W-Why you little..." he snarled. Then, the crook chuckled, his sadistic, joyful expression returning. "Well then, I hope you don't mind if I repaid the favor with a little _justice_ of my own!" Adam flashed a wide, toothy grin, his eyes glinting. "I'm gonna make you _pay_ for what you did to me back there...and I'm gonna make it SLOW."

Suddenly, a beam of light shot out from Adam's pocket. A few seconds later, Serena found herself starring at a Delphox, which stared back down at her, growling with an unusual amount of aggression and conviction. Like her, Adam was surprised by Delphox's sudden emergence, but then, he grinned again.

"I can see Delphox has waited a _long_ time for this...and believe me, Serena...I have too."

* * *

Outside, the bank of storm-clouds was hanging all over Lumiose City. A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a thunderous booming noise.

* * *

**Chapter 11: A Raging Flame**

* * *

Another beam of white light abruptly shot out from Serena's own pocket, and she watched as her Braixen materialized before her very eyes. She glared up at Adam's Delphox with fearless, narrowed eyes and issued a growl at it. Delphox's eyes widened in surprise, then it barked loudly and aggressively at Braixen.

"Braixen!" Serena exclaimed in surprise.

"Huh?" Adam gazed at Serena's Braixen closely. "Wha-What in Arceus's name is _this_?!" Then, his eyes glinted as he made a realization. "Could it be? _This_ is the same Fennekin that burned off half of my face?" Then, he scoffed mockingly. "Nah, it couldn't be. You must've been SO dissatisfied with the weakness of your old Fennekin, SO MUCH that you went off and sold it. Then, since you couldn't handle training a Pokémon, you just got yourself a Braixen. Yeah, that certainly sounds like it-"

"This is the same Fennekin!" screeched Serena in outrage. "I watched it evolve before my very eyes!"

"Yeah, how dare you say that!" Ash roared furiously. "Serena trained and worked very hard to get Fennekin to evolve into Braixen! She's an excellent Trainer!"

"You should be ashamed of yourself!" snapped Hilbert, Clemont, and Bonnie at once.

Braixen barked in agreement, looking extremely insulted to hear such a thing, even from a villain like Adam.

However, Adam burst out into hysterical laughter, looking as if he'd been told a very good joke. "Oh yeah, like I would ever believe that nonsense!" he cried. Then, his eyes narrowed and his voice became serious. "I know you like a **BOOK**, Serena. I know you are only in all of this just because you wanna impress your oh-so-beloved white knight! You can't possibly put any effort in Pokémon training! HAHAHA!" He pointed at her. "Time for you to know what happens to people who don't grow up!"

Delphox barked and went into a battle position, as did Braixen. Both Fox Pokémon stared daggers at each other, ready for their Trainers to issue the first commands.

...

"Uh, Adam?" Nick piped.

"WHAT?!" snapped the green-haired man.

"I-I'd hate to interrupt, but um, in case you haven't noticed, w-we're still surrounded by all these other Pokémon."

Adam's eyes widened, and he looked around him. "Oh yeah, that's right." However, he was still wearing his grin. "Well, time to even things up a bit." He reached into his pocket to retrieve something, but he couldn't find it. "What the? Where is it? Where _is_ it?!" He glared at Lloyd and Nick. "D'you two have your walkie-talkies?"

"We don't have any walkie-talkies," replied Nick.

"WHAT?! WHY?!"

"You said we didn't need any walkie-talkies for this phase of the plan!"

**"WHAT?!"**

As Adam and Nick conversed, Cilan shrugged. "Yeah," he said, "they're worse than Team Rocket, alright. They're worse than them in _planning_-"

"HEY, I HEARD THAT!" snapped Adam. Then, he glared back at Nick. "And _why_ would I say we wouldn't NEED any walkie-talkies?!"

"Because you said we'd meeting Fl-"

The conversation was suddenly interrupted when the door swung open. Floyd stepped inside the training room, currently oblivious to his surroundings.

"Hey, Hilbert, Hilda!" he called, focused on his toolbox. "You have that check ready?"

The villain-turned-electrician looked up and saw the standoff before him. His eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Adam, Lloyd, and Nick holding Hilbert and Hilda hostage while being surrounded by dozens of people and Pokémon. Adam blinked at his former colleague, then frowned nastily.

"FLOYD, YOU ROTTEN, GOOD-FOR-NOTHING-" he began.

"Hey, Floyd!" Ash called. "We've got Adam and his cronies! There's no more need to worry about them!"

"Oh," replied Floyd, looking surprised. "O-Okay. Th-Thanks."

"Floyd, don't just stand there like an idiot," snarled Adam as he raised a shaking fist, causing Floyd to flinch. "Do something, Arceus-damn it!"

"Don't listen to him, Floyd!" Serena exclaimed, noticing Floyd's flinch. "He can't hurt you anymore!"

"Oh, okay." The man nervously pulled out a Poké Ball and threw it into the air, unleashing his Carbink. "Carbink, use Psychic!"

Suddenly, pink auras outlined everyone except Adam, Lloyd, Nick, Hilbert, Hilda, and Delphox. To the shock of everyone else, they found themselves immobilized and being lifted into the air slowly. With a large amount of effort, Serena turned her head towards Floyd, only to see the remorseless, determined expression on his face.

"F-Fl-_Floyd_?..." she asked.

"Yeah," he replied calmly, "remember when I said I ditched Adam and his gang? I, uh...I lied."

"WHAT?!" Serena shouted, along with Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie.

"Yeah." Floyd scratched the back of his head nervously. "I, uh, I duped you guys. Again."

"WE TRUSTED YOU!" shrieked Serena as she remembered her meeting with him at the BW Agency summer mansion. "We...We _trusted_ you!"

Floyd glared at the honey-haired girl with a look of revulsion. However, upon seeing the expression on his face, she could sense some..._pity_?

"Oh yeah, so you trusted me. AGAIN. And just like last time, you fell for it, hook, line, and sinker. All of you did! Didn't you remember what happened last time? Well, guess you guys should've thought about that before making your judgment. Guess Adam was right when he called you kids stupid."

"Hey, don't you dare call them stupid!" Dawn shouted.

"Yeah, YOU'RE the one who's stupid!" added Max as he struggled against the Psychic that had its hold over him. "You approach people who would care for you and set aside everything else for the sake of your own well-being and pretend to be their good, loyal friend. Then, when they are in a vulnerable position and they rely on you for help, what do you do? Stab them in the back?! I've never seen anyone act so stupidly before, not to mention COWARDLY!"

Floyd's lips pursed at the last word. Then, he flicked his wrist at Max's direction, causing Carbink to tighten its Psychic on Max, causing him to scream in pain.

"MAX, NO!" Norman roared, flinching at the noise of his son's screams.

"You watch your mouth if you know what is good for you, little boy..." snarled Floyd savagely. He then looked at Adam, Lloyd, and Nick, then gestured to the still-open door. "Come on, let's make off with our payday!" However, he noticed his cronies staring back at him with shocked looks. "What? ..._What_?"

"I..." Adam replied, shocked beyond belief. "I-I never knew you had a dark side, Floyd..."

"I guess I learned from the best. Come on, let's go!" Floyd glared at Carbink. "Keep them there until I give the word."

Carbink nodded loyally at its Trainer as the villainous quartet passed it, a struggling Hilbert and Hilda in tow.

"YOU TRAITOR!" Bonnie screamed.

"DEDENNE!" squealed Dedenne at the top of its lungs.

"YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS, YOU CROOKS!" Ash roared. "WE'LL COME AFTER YOU WITH ALL WE'VE GOT! YOU CAN BET ON IT!"

Adam cackled before stopping beside Ash and staring at him. "I'd like to see you try, boy," he said. Then, he looked at his Delphox. "Delphox?"

The Fox Pokémon nodded before jabbing its fiery stick into Ash's abdomen. Upon feeling the flames piercing his skin, Ash let out a bloodcurdling scream of pain. The hot burning sensation he felt, plus the feeling of the end of the stick stabbing at his skin, was so agonizing and intense that he felt as if he would die, then and there. Fortunately for him, the torture didn't last long, for Delphox withdrew its stick from the black-haired Trainer's stomach a split-second after the fact.

Still, he could feel the pain...

"ASH!" everyone screamed in concern. Ash used the last of his energy to move his head down and look at his stomach. The fire had torn a hole into his shirt, and his exposed skin was completely red, with some small black chips indicating charred flesh. Blood was trickling down from its countless wounds, staining his shirt.

"PIKAPI!" Pikachu screeched, horrified at the sight of his best friend suffering such a grievous injury.

Adam chuckled sadistically as he examined Ash's wound as well. "This is what you get for the trouble you caused me at the forest back then," he said. Then, his good eye widened in surprise, and the man glared at Serena with a look that made her skin crawl. "Hmmm...since I have this opportunity... Delphox!"

Delphox snarled in understanding before advancing towards the honey-haired Performer. It raised its fiery stick towards the right side of Serena's face, and she issued a tiny gasp of horror. She knew what Adam was planning on doing to her. She could hear her Braixen growling and barking as she struggled against Carbink's Psychic.

"No, no, no, STOP!" shouted Clemont.

"Stop that right now!" Hilbert screamed as he struggled against Lloyd's grip. "Have Delphox lower that thing down!"

"LEAVE SERENA ALONE!" shrieked Bonnie.

"Don't do it..." Ash moaned through a fog of pain. "Please don't... Stop it..."

"Why?" replied Adam nonchalantly. He then pointed to the damaged right side of his face, specifically at his eye. "An eye for an eye, isn't that right?"

"Besides, it's fun," Lloyd added, snickering deviously.

"YOU'RE INSANE!" shouted several people, including Misty, May, Dawn, Shauna, Brock, Cilan, and Max.

"And proud of it," Adam sneered. "Alrighty then, Delphox, let's finish this! Make it nice and clean!"

Delphox growled in agreement. The fire was closing in on Serena's cheek; she was trying to move her head away from the flames, but the Psychic was too tight...

"Alright, stop it, Adam."

The green-haired man glared at the speaker. "And why should I stop, _Floyd_?" he demanded. "Do you have ANY idea what this stupid little girl DID TO ME?!"

"If we stay here any longer," Floyd replied, "then the cops might come in the nick of time and have this entire place surrounded. We're wasting enough time as it is. I would rather not wind up in prison." He grabbed Adam's wrist before his superior could protest. "Come on. Let's get out of here."

"NO!" Adam screeched rebelliously, but Floyd already began to half-drag him away, with Lloyd and Nick following. "NO, NO, NO! YOU LET ME GO THIS **INSTANT**, YOU ARCEUS-DAMN IDIOT! I **MUST** HAVE MY REVENGE AGAINST THAT LITTLE **SERENA**! NOW! NO! NO, NO, **NO**!" He glared at a relieved Serena. **"_NO_!"**

The quartet left with a struggling and screaming Hilbert and Hilda still in their clutches. Adam's screams of madness echoed throughout the hallway and into the room with an eeriness to it. Delphox, who still remained inside, looked back and forth from the doorway to Serena and Braixen, obviously torn between following its Trainer or enacting its heinous act of revenge against the two of them. Then, it lowered its fiery wand, snorted in defeat, growled loudly at the two of them, as if giving them an ominous message of warning, and furiously marched out of the room. This left Carbink, who still had the hold of everyone else under its Psychic.

Serena sighed in relief once Delphox left the room, as did Braixen. Then, she looked at Ash, who was still groaning from his stomach wound.

"Ash!" she cried in concern. "_Ash_! Are you hurt?!"

"Pikapi, pika-pika?" asked Pikachu, its eyes shimmering with tears.

"Yeah, I'm fine," the black-haired Trainer replied. "I'm, ugh...I'm just fine-"

"No, you're not!" Brock interrupted sternly. "You're hurt, Ash!"

"Yeah, you definitely need to have a nurse check that out!" Dawn exclaimed.

"But how're we gonna do that?!" asked Max. "That Carbink's got its Psychic over all of us! We can't move!"

However, Cynthia, who had remained calm during the entire ordeal (except when Ash was injured by Delphox), closed her eyes, a strategy forming in her head. Then, she looked at the nearby Bertha with a glint in her eye. Recognizing the look on the former Champion's face, the Sinnoh Elite Four member nodded and then glanced at the nearby Jasmine, who also nodded in understanding and passed on the mental message to Marlon, who then relayed it to Erika, and so on and so forth.

In a matter of minutes, every person who had a Ground-, Steel-, Water-, or Grass-type Pokémon out (or a Pokémon that learned an attack of one of those types) had gotten Cynthia's message. They then had their Pokémon direct themselves towards the Carbink, who was too focused on the wounded Ash to notice.

"On the count of three," Cynthia whispered to Bertha.

"Gotcha," replied the elderly, experienced Elite Four member. "Right behind you, Cynthia."

"Alright." The former Sinnoh Champion stared at Carbink. "Three..."

The Ground- and Steel-type specialists prepared themselves for an impending attack.

"Two..."

The Water- and Grass-type specialists stared intently at their target.

"One..." Cynthia narrowed her eyes with determination. "NOW!"

"GO!" Cynthia's group chorused all at once, prompting their Pokémon to fire Ground-, Steel-, Water-, and Grass-type attacks at Carbink.

Noticing almost immediately, the Jewel Pokémon tried to counter against their combined attacks with Ancient Power, but it proved to be useless against the barrage of moves. Within seconds, Carbink was struck by the attacks, causing it to release its Psychic grip on the entire group.

"HOORAY!" cheered Bonnie as she landed on the floor on her feet. "We're all free!"

"DEDENNE!" Dedenne replied excitedly.

"ASH!" Serena cried as she, Misty, May, Dawn, Brock, Cilan, Clemont, and Max attended to their injured friend. "Ash, are you okay?!"

"Pika-pika!" Pikachu squealed as he began tugging at Ash's pant leg.

"Y-Ye-_Yeah_..." Ash replied, smiling weakly at the honey-haired girl. "I'm fi-" Then, his eyes widened. "Wa-Watch out!"

Serena twirled around, just to see Floyd's Carbink preparing to fire another Ancient Power in her direction. It was critically wounded, but not out for the count. Then...

"Metagross, use Flash Cannon!"

The Steel-type attack barreled across the room and hit Carbink with enough force that it knocked the Jewel Pokémon yards into the wall. Ash and his friends watched on with open jaws before hearing the familiar triumphant roar of a Metagross. They glanced down the room and saw Steven Stone with his Shiny Metagross.

"Whoa!" Brock exclaimed. "Thanks, Steven!"

The Hoenn Champion grinned. "No problem, Brock," he replied. Then, he glared at the doorway Adam and his cronies retreated through. "We have to go after them."

"Indeed!" Jones exclaimed. "They have Sir Hilbert and Madam Hilda! If they are really going to pay a ransom for their safe return, then they'd demand billions! Maybe even trillions! The BW Agency has amassed a large fortune since its founding! Such a ransom would bankrupt the company!" Then, he gasped. "It'd disrupt the PWT!"

"Maybe even bankrupt Lumiose City," theorized Cynthia bitterly. "The BW Agency definitely won't risk paying all of that money, so they'll have to turn to Lumiose City for at least some of the ransom money. But still, considering how much Hilbert and Hilda can be worth by themselves, it would still be a lot of money to consider." The blonde woman grunted with utter disgust. "That kind of ransom demand would also drain out most of Lumiose City's economy."

"Lots of businesses will be shut down!" Clemont cried, catching onto what Cynthia was saying. "Lumiose City will eventually have to be closed!"

"Oh, no!" exclaimed Bonnie, covering her mouth in shock. "Lumiose City is my home! It CAN'T shut down!"

"Which is why we have to move fast NOW!" Serena demanded. "Adam and his cronies CAN'T get away with this! Not like last time!"

* * *

"You won't win, you crooks!" Hilbert snapped as Floyd and Lloyd stuffed him into an oversize Dialga plushie toy.

"Oh, boo-hoo!" replied Adam, sneering triumphantly. "Well, guess what, frat boy?! We. Just. DID. HAHAHA!" Then, he frowned. "Although things would've been MUCH better if I'd just gotten my well-deserved revenge against that little Serena! AGH! Her and her stupid little Fennekin! If only she didn't replace it with that Braixen-"

"You're stupid. Serena NEVER replaced her Fennekin with a Braixen. She would **NEVER** do that!"

Adam glared at Hilbert again as Lloyd began zipping the plushie toy shut. "Oh, really? And since when has the frat boy started fraternizing with a worthless girl like-?"

"SHE'S NOT WORTHLESS! SHE IS A **GREAT** TRAINER! SHE'LL BEAT YOU! HER AND ALL OF HER FRIENDS! THEY'LL COME FOR ME AND HILDA, JUST YOU WAIT!"

The sneer returned to the villain's face. "Well, they're a little..._restrained_ at the moment. But if they get free, then I'd LOVE to see them try. It'd be **VERY** fun!" Then, he glared at Lloyd. "Get that damn doll zipped up already! We're already three Arceus-damn minutes behind schedule already!"

"Jeez, boss, _chill_," Lloyd replied. "This is a very hard toy to zip up."

Fortunately, it didn't take the thin, redheaded man long for him to finish zipping the Dialga doll shut, effectively trapping Hilbert inside. Nearby, Nick had also finished zipping up an equally large Palkia plushie toy. Inside, Hilda was trying desperately to hit and punch her way out, but to no avail.

"Alright!" Adam exclaimed. "Now that THAT'S done..." He glared at Floyd. "Please, please, PLEASE tell me you have walkie-talkies."

"It's all in the wrist, boss," replied Floyd as he procured a walkie-talkie from his pocket.

With a relieved sigh, Adam grabbed it and pressed a green button. "Hello, Soaring Braviary? This is Barking Houndoom speaking. We have the package, I repeat, we _have_ the package. There's been some minor complications, but we're now in the clear and primed and ready for the next phase. Over?"

A few seconds later, Sid's voice replied, _**"Yes, Barking Houndoom, this is Soaring Braviary. The Thunderstorm is on its way, so be prepared. Over."**_

"Got it. Over and out." Adam shut off the walkie-talkie and looked at his comrades. "Just you wait, gentlemen. We're one step closer to our payday..."

* * *

**The skies of Lumiose City**

Sid shut off his walkie-talkie as he continued to maneuver the helicopter he and the others stole from the Lumiose Press headquarters complex. Its exterior was now outfitted with advanced, military-style weaponry, including machine guns mounted on the sides and a large missile launcher mounted underneath. His Shiny Greninja and Exploud were on each side of the passenger seats, keeping watch, while his Braviary circled around them nearby, undeterred by the clouds hanging overhead.

"Man..." he said as he heard the distant booming of thunder. "Looks like there's gonna be a big storm. Hope this doesn't disrupt the plan... Oh, crap, I nearly forgot!" He frantically pressed an orange button on his walkie-talkie. "Hello, Swimming Wailord? This is Soaring Braviary speaking. Respond at once! Over!"

_**"This is Swimming Wailord speaking,"**_ Cecile's voice replied from the other end. _**"Is it that time?"**_

"Yes, do it!" Sid exclaimed. "Release the Electric-types! Over!"

_**"With pleasure. Over and out."**_

* * *

**The Pokémon World Festival**

"Oh Lyra, come on! I think we have enough clothes to last us a decade!"

"Oh, you're such a worrywart, Khoury! One more blouse wouldn't hurt!"

"Well, it'd certainly hurt the money my dad gave us for this stay."

"What was that?"

"Nothing..."

Lyra and Khoury stepped onto the Pokémon World Festival grounds, the latter carrying a number of shopping bags in his hands. There was an additional couple slung over his neck, as he couldn't fit them into his grip. Lyra was skipping down the stands energetically while Khoury fell slightly behind, looking exhausted.

"Lyra, can you _please_ slow down a bit?..." Khoury asked.

"Fine!" replied Lyra, sticking her tongue out at him teasingly. "Arceus, someone's cranky today..."

"Yeah, that tends to happen when I'm carrying a whole load of shopping bags like it's no one else's business. Would you please mind carrying some?"

"But you're the gentleman."

"So?"

"So be the gentleman and help the lady carrying her luggage!"

Suddenly, before Khoury could respond, a loud thunderclap boomed over the festival, startling several attendants, some of whom even flinched, Lyra included. As the booming echoed throughout the land, growing more and more distant, Lyra let out a relieved sigh. Khoury began to chuckle, causing her to lightly punch his shoulder.

"OW!" he exclaimed. "What was that for, Lyra?"

"Some gentleman you are," she replied. "You're laughing at the lady's misery."

"It's just thunder. There's nothing to be afraid of from a little thunderstorm-"

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by another thunderclap. Once again, Lyra flinched while Khoury chuckled teasingly.

"NOT FUNNY, KHOURY!" whined Lyra as she held onto his arm. "IT'S SCARY!"

"Like I said, it's just thun-"

Another bolt of lightning streaked across the air ferociously. However, this time, it was not from the storm-clouds. Instead, it was from the ground, and it tore through several food stands, barely missing Lyra and Khoury in the process. This time, it was Khoury who flinched, while Lyra laughed teasingly at her boyfriend's misery.

"Oh, now _who's_ afraid of the thunder?" the Johto native asked.

"B-B-B-Bu-But _Lyra_," her boyfriend replied, "that wasn't an _ordinary_ thun-"

A second bolt of lightning shot down the aisle Lyra and Khoury were standing on. Both spotted it and ducked for cover, barely avoiding it as it ripped into the tent that was hosting the PWT Exhibition Performance. The two Johto Trainers gasped in shock, staring at the place where the bolt struck the tent. Then, they suddenly heard a low growling issuing from behind them. Looking back, their eyes widened in horror as they found themselves staring into the deep-red eyes of a Luxray.

**"LUXRAY!"** it roared.

The couple screamed out as loud as they possibly could, just as a swarm of Magnemite and Magneton flooded through the festival, followed by Magnezone.

* * *

**Magenta Plaza**

"Come on, Jimmy! Stop ogling at that magazine and let's get going!"

"Alright, alright, Vincent..."

"Come ON, Jimmy! We're late for the Exhibition Performance as it already is!"

Jimmy Kenta sighed as he rolled up the magazine and stuffed it into his pocket. Then, he continued following his friend Vincent Jackson as both Trainers walked down the cobblestone sidewalk towards Centrico Plaza. A thunderclap sounded a mile away, although it sounded as if it happened directly over them.

"Arceus, this storm's getting intense," Vincent said. "We'd better hurry, Jimmy, if we don't wanna get caught up in the rain!"

"Hey, Vince?" Jimmy asked abruptly, having stopped walking.

The larger Trainer twirled around and crossed his arms. "What, Jimmy?! You know, you have to stop thinking about Marina! It's over between you two, it's done!"

"I just wanna know..." Jimmy hesitated for a moment. "Do...Do you think the two of us ever had a...a _chance_?..."

Vincent looked like he had just been told a really bad joke. "Y-_You two_? Jimmy, you-you seriously t-think that _you_, a no-one from a town in the middle of nowhere like New Bark, had a _chance_ with a rising star like _Marina_? Look at you, Jimmy! You're just an average Pokémon Trainer with no notable accomplishments of any kind, and Marina's a Pokémon Idol, a Top Coordinator, a film actress...a star in just about anything, and everything you can think of! Little Miss Perfect, if you may!" He grunted with an air of disapproval. "So yeah, no, you two didn't have a chance together. You may have worked together to help Raikou out, but that's all it ever was!"

Jimmy sighed sadly as he glanced down at the magazine in his pocket. _"No chance, huh?..."_ he thought. _"Well...I guess...I guess it figures..."_

Noticing the sad expression on his friend's face, Vincent sighed, stepped beside him, and patted him in the back.

"If it makes you feel any better," he added, "I didn't have a chance with Marina either. I should've known that from the start..."

Jimmy sighed again, then looked up at Vincent with a soft, sad smile. The larger Trainer returned it with a wide, optimistic smile, just as a second, louder thunderclap sounded directly above them. The loud booming noise startled not only him and Jimmy, but other pedestrians nearby the vicinity.

"Whoa," Vincent said. "That was a very loud one." He began walking down the street with Jimmy. "Come on, man, we gotta get to the festival before it starts-"

Suddenly, multiple Electric-type attacks began shooting out in multiple directions, shattering windows and electrocuting anyone in their path. Jimmy and Vincent both ducked down as a Thunderbolt shot past them and shattered the window of a baker shop. The shards of glass were sent all over the two Trainers, showering them.

"AGH!" Vincent screamed. "AGH, AGH! WHAT THE?! WHAT IN ARCEUS'S-?!"

However, he was interrupted by several menacing electronic hums and growls. Jimmy and Vincent instantly shot up to their feet and watched on as hordes of Electric-type Pokémon, all of many different species, ran, rolled, or flew down the street and rooftops, and also across the sky. The Pokémon passed both Trainers and all the pedestrians who managed to escape being electrocuted. Watching them as they went by, Jimmy noticed they all had...

_"Red eyes?"_ he thought. _"Oh, no... Is this another plot by Team Rocket?"_

"What in Arceus's name is going on?!" exclaimed Vincent, just as the Pokémon continued attacking and electrocuting everything in sight. "Oh my Arceus!"

"I don't know what's going on," Jimmy said, procuring a Poké Ball, "but we gotta stop this!" He threw the Poké Ball. "Go, Typhlosion!"

The device opened up and sent out a beam of light.

* * *

**The Pokémon World Festival  
The Prism Tower**

"What's taking them so long?!"

...

"Hey, aren't you gonna talk me?"

"Patience is key, Mairin. Learn that, and you'll be making your first step towards learning Mega Evolution."

"Ohhhhh..."

"Ches..."

Alain, Mairin, and Chespie were seated in the audience, waiting for the second act of the PWT Exhibition Performance to start. However, it was already a few minutes past its deadline and people were beginning to become impatient. Some had already started booing at the stage, while others were becoming extremely rowdy in the midst of their being bored and un-entertained. Alain watched as one spectator threw his or her soft drink at the stage, spraying the floor with liquid.

"D'you know what's taking Hilbert and Hilda so long, Alain?" Mairin asked, her eyebrow raised. "I don't think they're ever this late."

"Probably some complications with some equipment," replied Alain indifferently. "I don't know. I'm not familiar with the mechanics of staging a play or performance."

Mairin sighed impatiently and crossed her arms, an action that was mimicked by Chespie. Meanwhile, Alain heard the Trainer sitting next to him moaning loudly.

"Man, if they're another five minutes late," the Trainer said, "I'm SO gonna fine them for wasting my time."

"HEY, WHAT'S GOING ON?!" one spectator shouted over the increasingly dissatisfied crowd.

"WHAT'S TAKING SO FREAKING LONG?!" screamed another.

"WE WANT OUR SHOW!" a third shrieked.

Just then, the stage curtain burst open and was ripped to shreds. The moaning and complaints turned into terrified shouting and screaming as the audience burst into a chaotic and disorganized run towards the nearest exits and emergency exits. Alain, Mairin, Chespie, and the Trainer sitting beside them watched as several Electric-type Pokémon ran amok, firing Electric-type attacks and electrocuting anyone and anything nearby. Mairin screamed as an Electro Ball nearly hit her and Chespie.

"OH, NO!" she screamed. "THESE POKEMON HAVE GONE CRAZY!"

"Not on my watch!" the Trainer shouted, taking out a Poké Ball. "Empolean, GO!"

The Emperor Pokémon emerged from its Poké Ball and let out a roar. However, Alain looked at the Trainer skeptically.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked. "Water-types are vulnerable to Electric-types. You won't even stand a chance against all of them."

"Don't worry!" the Trainer replied, flashing a thumbs-up at him. "I'll have this covered or my name isn't Barry! I'll betcha on that!" Suddenly, a Thunder hit Empolean, knocking it out in an instant, horrifying Barry. "No! No, no, NO! EMPOLEON!" Then, he raised a fist at the Pokémon. "I'LL FINE YOU ALL FOR THAT!"

Alain rolled his eyes before producing his own Poké Ball and throwing it. "Go, Charizard!" he cried. When the Charizard emerged from its Poké Ball, Alain immediately raised his left arm, revealing his Mega Ring, which he touched. "Key Stone, respond to my heart! Beyond evolution! MEGA EVOLVE!"

Charizard let out a massive roar as it Mega Evolved. Mairin's jaw dropped open in excitement, while Barry was absolutely shocked by what he just witnessed.

"W-Wh-Wha-_What_?!" Barry stuttered. "H-How'd your Charizard change _form_ and _color_?!"

"It's nothing you need to know about," replied Alain. "Stay back-"

However, Barry already stood up and faced the Electric-type Pokémon. He recalled Empoleon, procured another Poké Ball, and threw it into the air.

"GO, **HERACROSS**!" he shouted, seconds before the Single Horn Pokémon emerged from the Poké Ball, snarling at its army of opponents. Then, Barry went into the same position Alain took as he Mega Evolved his Charizard. "Um...Key Stone, respond to my, uh, brain! Something something something, MEGA EVOLVE!"

However, Heracross stared at its Trainer with a confused expression. As for Alain, he sighed and face-palmed himself, while Mairin looked at Barry in confusion.

"Unbelievable..." groaned Alain, just before a Pachirisu fired a Discharge at him, Mairin, and Barry.

* * *

Outside the tent, Paul was walking around aimlessly, deep in his thoughts, ignoring the loud rumbling of thunder that was echoing above him. From the bottom of his stone-cold heart, he knew that there was something tormenting Ash to the point of hysteria and near-insanity. Whether or not it was real or imagined, this tormentor had to be driving Ash over the edge. Paul knew he shouldn't be this concerned about his rival, but the subject bothered him too much for some reason.

Maybe...just maybe...he was _used_ to the old Ash that he despised for years? The one who thought love and bond mattered more than power and physical endurance?

The purple-haired Trainer shuddered as he continued brooding darkly over the matter. He couldn't believe he was feeling such pitiful emotions. It was blasphemy!

"Hello..." a familiar voice greeted cautiously. Paul looked up in surprise and found himself staring at the same Trainer he met at the Lumiose City International Airport, the one who was Ash's rival in the Unova region. What was his name again? He was never good with strangers' names. ...Oh, Trip.

"Hello yourself," replied Paul callously.

"I never imagined you'd be here," Trip said, his eyes narrowed slightly.

"As did I with you."

"I guess this makes you soft all along."

"Same with you."

A small grin appeared on Trip's face. "I guess we're both soft, then. That accursed hillbilly Trainer."

"I assume you're referring to him."

"Who else? He seems to make everyone and everything around him soft. I guess it's something from the boonies he's from that's making him like this."

Paul nodded in agreement, then said, "Hey, would you mind if I asked you something?"

Trip shrugged. "Shoot. Great minds think alike, anyway."

"Have you seen him around?"

"Now why would I wanna hang out with that hillbilly?"

"Oh." Paul glanced at the tent, just as a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky. "I've seen him recently. His behavior has become quite worrisome..."

A thunderclap boomed across the sky as Trip replied, "What? What're you talking about?"

"I presume he has begun to succumb to madness."

Trip scoffed. "Figures. Sooner or later, he was gonna have to learn that his ideals were bound to run dry on him. I can only assume the truth hit him too hard."

"I guess..." Suddenly, Paul heard a distant cacophony of screaming, then saw something yellow moving at the corner of his eye. "Duck."

Both Trainers instantly ducked downward, narrowly missing an Electro Ball that then completely annihilated several food stands next to them. Paul and Trip then stood up, to which they watched as numerous Electric-type Pokémon invaded the festival, wildly firing attacks at all directions. Citizens and tourists fled from the rampaging Pokémon, shouting and screaming in complete distress and terror. Paul saw a few bodies lying on the ground; he didn't want to think if they were dead or not.

"Looks like trouble," Trip said, closely surveying the situation.

"Indeed," replied Paul as he produced a Poké Ball. "Shall we compare how many we bring down after this is done?"

The Unova native smirked as he took out a Poké Ball of his own. "Challenge accepted."

"GO!" Paul and Trip shouted simultaneously as they threw their devices, unleashing their Pokémon.

* * *

**At the top of Prism Tower**

Calem's eyes narrowed, just as a lightning bolt flashed next to him, illuminating his features. His hair and clothes were fluttering with the strong wind blowing against him, and he was beginning to feel the first droplets of rain falling from the dark-gray storm-clouds. However, he wasn't concerned by the weather around him.

Instead, he was concerned about the chaos that was beginning to emerge below him.

_"This isn't good..."_ he thought.

_**"You should respond, then."**_

_"Indeed..."_

As soon as he thought that word, Calem stepped off Prism Tower.

* * *

**Vert Plaza**

Lucas was going over the files he managed to duplicate, ignoring the flashing of lighting and the booming of thunder as he did so. His eyes narrowed at the photos of Dawn and Johanna, his fist clenching tightly. He just couldn't _understand_... Why did it had to be _him_, and not _her_?... Was it because-?

His thoughts were interrupted when a droplet of rain fell onto Dawn's eye. The Trainer looked up and saw that it was beginning to rain.

"AGH!" a woman screamed. "SOMEONE, HELP!"

Lucas then looked all around the plaza, immediately spotting several people running for their lives. As soon as the pedestrians and tourists in the plaza spotted them, they began running as well. At first, he remained in his position, wondering what exactly everyone was running away from. A flash of lightning suddenly startled him, but upon looking around for its source and seeing nothing suspicious, he concluded that it had to be from the brewing storm.

Then, a Thunderbolt struck the fountain he was sitting on, obliterating it and showering him with slabs of stone and torrents of water. However, Lucas was unaffected by what had just happened; in fact, he remained calm. Putting away his files, he stood up and reached into his pocket for a Poké Ball.

_"Guess this is gonna have to wait..."_ he thought.

* * *

**The Pokémon World Festival  
****The Prism Tower**

A Sinnoh Now news helicopter flew above the festival, the deafening whirring of its rotors nearly drowned out by the noise of a thunderclap. In the passenger seat, an extremely nervous cameraman was slightly leaning out of the aerial vehicle, recording the chaos unfolding down below. He was able to see the countless Electric-type Pokémon firing their attacks endlessly at anything in their way, while tourists fled for safety, some taking cover underneath stands.

Then, the cameraman focused his camera on Rhonda, who had already taken position with her microphone.

"Good afternoon, everyone," the reporter announced, "this is Rhonda for Sinnoh Now, reporting live in the air! There's chaos going on in the Pokémon World Festival! My helicopter is flying over the scene, and we are watching the madness unfold with our very eyes! As you can see, numerous Electric-type Pokémon have gone wild at the festival, firing attacks at left and right, hitting anything and everything that stands in their way! We can see casualties, but we don't know how many. Also, we have reports that other locations in Lumiose are also being attacked by the hordes of Electric-type Pokémon, which are said to consist of many, if not all species!"

"Hey, Rhonda!" the pilot shouted. "Are-Are you seeing this?!"

"Seeing what?!" replied Rhonda. "I don't see anything!"

"Th-That helicopter over there!"

Rhonda and the cameraman followed the pilot's gaze, and saw that he was right. There was a second helicopter hovering over the festival, close to Prism Tower. They could easily recognize the Lumiose Press logo on its side...although, the entire exterior of the chopper was outfitted with...

"Are those _military-grade weaponry_?" Rhonda asked, shocked.

* * *

Adam, Floyd, Lloyd, and Nick quickly ran out of the tent, camouflaged perfectly with all of the other spectators fleeing from the Pokémon rampaging inside. Lloyd and Nick were dragging behind them the large Dialga and Palkia plushie toys, which no one took notice of as Hilbert and Hilda struggled to break out of them. As the four stepped outside, they watched as the tourists poured out in multiple directions, trying to evade the Pokémon already running amok outside.

"Ohhhhh, look at all this terror and chaos!" Lloyd exclaimed, bursting out into a maniacal cackle. "OH, THIS IS JUST TOO **PRICELESS**!"

"What's the next stage of the plan, boss?!" called Nick over the screaming of the tourists.

Adam looked up at the sky and saw Sid flying the helicopter around in the sky, accompanied by the Sinnoh Now news chopper. Then, he looked back at Nick.

"We wait and let all of this madness continue for about fifteen minutes," he replied. "Once the festival's clear, Sid's gonna land and extract us."

"B-Bu-But w-what about th-the-?"

"The Pokémon? Don't worry! Burke gave them specific orders not to attack us or the package. We'll be fine!"

"But where are we gonna hide, boss?" Floyd asked. "There's still a whole lot of chaos going on around us!"

"...Oh yeah, that's right..."

* * *

"Are you _sure_ you are okay, Ash?" Serena asked as she applied bandages to Ash's stomach wound. Brock and Cilan had managed to treat it as best as they could, but it still looked severe, despite Ash's insistence that he was fine. "I don't think you're in top fighting shape with that wound Adam gave you-"

"I said I'm FINE, Serena," replied Ash. "Thanks for the concern, though."

"Serena's right," Cynthia said. "I don't think you should be helping us get Hilda and Hilbert back."

"But I HAVE to help them! Hilbert's my friend, and if Hilda's his friend, then she's my friend too! I would NEVER leave behind a friend in need!"

"Are you _sure_ you really wanna help?..." Cilan asked.

"Of course!" Ash then tried to stand up, only to yelp out in pain and collapse back down to the floor, his hand clutching his wound. "OWWW! It _hurts_..."

"Pikapi!" Pikachu exclaimed.

"See?" Cynthia asked. "You can only be on your feet for a second before the pain kicks in! We need to get you to a Pokémon Center-"

"NO! NO POKEMON CENTER!"

"_Ash_," Serena said sternly as she knelt down and grabbed her friend's hand, "we'll get Hilbert and Hilda back. I _promise_. But I'm afraid you're too hurt to do anything. I can't even bear to imagine what'd happen if you have to battle Adam or his cronies." Her eyes began to shimmer. "I...I'm afraid you'll have to sit this one out."

Ash's response startled even her and Pikachu. **"NO!"**

"Ash, she's right," Brock piped. "We'll take care of this. You go to a Pokémon Center."

"But-"

"We know you wanna help. But trust me, we can handle this. We'll _get_ Hilbert and Hilda back. I can guarantee that. I mean, do you know how many times we've been in sticky situations before, only to get ourselves out of them? Trust me, Ash, I am confident that this is gonna be a piece of cake."

"You've got that right, Brock," replied Max.

"Besides," added Flint, "we're all helping out!"

"Yeah!" Lt. Surge exclaimed. "There's no freaking WAY we're gonna let those crooks get away with ambushing all of us like that! Nuh-uh!"

"YEAH!" chorused several others.

"Are..." Ash hesitated, looking at everyone he had ever befriended in his journey. "Are you all _sure_?"

"Trust me, Ash," Misty replied, "where do you think we got this kind of determination? I know we can handle this without you."

Realizing that everyone has made up their minds on getting Hilbert and Hilda back without him, Ash couldn't help but nod in approval. Then, he smiled happily.

"Huh?" Serena raised an eyebrow. "You're...You're _smiling_, Ash!"

"It's just..." Ash looked at Misty. "Well, I know who you mean, when you asked me about where I think you guys all got your determination. Thanks."

Misty blushed and replied, "Y-Yeah, you're welcome. Now, get going, Ash! Nurse Joy needs to check your wound!"

"I'll take him," Alexa said.

"So will I!" Brock exclaimed enthusiastically, causing Misty and Max to sweat-drop at his true intention.

Ash nodded in agreement, then looked at Serena. "Hey, Serena?" he asked.

Serena blushed a furious scarlet as she replied, "Y-Ye-_Yeah_, Ash?"

"You...You be careful, Serena. I know what's going on between you and Adam, so if you find yourself coming up against him, I want you to be careful. Alright?"

The honey-haired girl's eyes widened, and her blush intensified. She couldn't believe Ash was showing this much concern about her well-being. She could've squealed in happiness at his concern, but she knew this wasn't the perfect time to do such a thing, so she held it back. Instead, Serena responded with a soft smile.

"Of course I'll be careful, Ash," she said. "Thanks."

Ash nodded and returned her smile with one of his own, just before Alexa and Brock helped him up to his feet and guided him out of the training room. Watching him go, Serena then looked back at everyone else in the room, all of whom were looking at her, as if waiting for her to give them directions. Realizing they were looking at her for the ideas, now that Ash was temporarily out of the picture, she blushed again, this time in embarrassment. She'd never coordinated a whole crowd before...

Unless it was during a Showcase, of course-

"Everyone!" Jones piped, catching everyone else's attention. "I just got off the phone with Sir Bernard. He's saying there are Pokémon attacking Lumiose City!"

"Probably the work of those meanies!" exclaimed Bonnie.

"So, what do we do, Serena?" Dawn asked.

"Wh-What?!" Serena shouted. "Why're you asking ME?!"

"Because it's obvious the two of you have a close bond with one another," Shauna replied.

"Yes!" exclaimed Cilan. "You two are like the peanut butter and jelly in a sandwich!"

"R-Re-_Really_?..."

Then, Serena glanced at everyone else as they stared back at her. At first, she was extremely unenthusiastic about making some sort of inspirational speech to them, Ash-style. It was way too much pressure for her! Then, she remembered what she thought about coordinating a crowd being like her doing Pokémon Performing. The connotation was very convincing to her, so she begun to speak, all the while thinking about Ash and how concerned he was for her...

"Alright, then!" Serena announced. "We're all getting Hilbert and Hilda back! We're all stopping all of these Pokémon from continuing this destruction! And we are ALL going to bring down Adam and his gang! We're all doing this, no matter what!" She raised a clenched fist. "Let's do this, everyone! Together!"

**"YEAH!"** everyone shouted in response, raising their own fists.

* * *

Outside, a light drizzle began to fall upon all of Lumiose City. Another lightning bolt streaked across the sky, followed by a thunderclap.

* * *

_**"So, what's the plan, Serena?"**_

Inside the tent, Alain, Mairin, and Barry continued battling against the horde of Electric Pokémon, all of whom were now focusing their attacks on the trio and all their Pokémon. Despite Mega Charizard's sheer power and the sustainability of Chespie and Barry's Heracross, the Pokémon began to overwhelm them with their numbers.

"Oh, no!" Mairin exclaimed as Chespin was knocked backward by a Thunder. "No, Chespie!"

_**"We attack the Electric Pokémon with all we've got!"**_

Suddenly, the doors leading into the stadium burst open, and several Gym Leaders and other top figures, led by Misty and Cilan, ran inside. Their Pokémon all joined Alain, Mairin, and Barry in engaging the Electric Pokémon. With a heightened amount of assistance, Mega Charizard, Chespie, and Heracross were able to recover and resume their battling with a renewed vigor. It didn't take long until the Electric Pokémon invading the stadium began to fall back with their dwindling numbers.

"YEAH!" Mairin exclaimed as the Pokémon started retreating. "WE DID IT!"

"OOH, I KNEW THIS WOULD BE **AWESOME**!" Barry roared triumphantly.

However, Alain merely had his Charizard revert back to its original state. Then, he stared at Steven, who was a part of Misty and Cilan's group.

* * *

Another thunderclap echoed across Lumiose City.

* * *

**_"What about the ones outside?"_**

Without a single thought, Paul and Trip both relentlessly battled against the Electric-type Pokémon that were annihilating the Pokémon World Festival, using Electivire and Serperior, respectively. The combined powers of their best Pokémon gave them an advantage against their opponents, resulting in the defeats of several of them. Currently, they were defending Lyra and Khoury, who were caught in the midst of the Electric-type attacks and were unable to move.

"How many do you have so far?" Trip asked.

"I brought down 57," replied Paul. "You?"

Trip smirked boastfully. "58."

Just then, Electivire brought down a Magnezone and a Luxio with its Thunder. Paul smirked as he watched both Pokémon fall to the ground, defeated.

"59," he said.

"Whoa!" Lyra exclaimed as she watched Paul and Trip battling. "You should battle like them, Khoury!"

Khoury could only chuckle nervously in agreement.

_**"Well, we take care of those too! We have to make sure they don't get to Prism Tower. It could lead to disaster if they do."**_

Just then, Paul and Trip were joined by several other people, led by May, Courtney, and Norman. Their Pokémon immediately defeated the group of Electric Pokémon they were battling with a barrage of attacks. Lyra and Khoury gasped in wonder, while Paul and Trip frowned bitterly at being deprived of an elongated battle.

"Great job, May!" Norman exclaimed, smiling at his daughter as he watched her command her Blaziken against a particularly powerful Emolga.

"Thanks, Dad!" replied the Top Coordinator, smiling widely. Then, she watched as a Rotom, using its Fan Form, stealthily fly towards Prism Tower. "BLAZIKEN!"

Blaziken roared and fired Overheat at the direction of the Fan Rotom. The Fire-type attack hit and knocked it out within seconds. Upon watching the Plasma Pokémon fall down to the ground, the Blaze Pokémon roared out triumphantly, not noticing the Magnezone sneaking up behind it. It was preparing to fire an Electro Ball...

"Bayleef!" cried Lyra, throwing a Poké Ball and sending out the Leaf Pokémon. "Use Solar Beam, quick!"

The Leaf Pokémon squealed and fired the attack, which struck the Magnezone before it could even fire its Electro Ball. The Magnezone tried to hover away, only to be finished off and completely frozen by an Ice Beam fired by Liza's Lunatone. In surprise, May looked at Lyra, who gave her a thumbs-up. She smiled and returned it.

* * *

Yet another thunderclap echoed across Lumiose City.

* * *

**Magenta Plaza**

"This is looking BAD, Jimmy!" Vincent shouted as his Meganium brought down several Pokémon with Solar Beam. "Really, _really_ BAD!"

"Don't you think I _know_?!" cried Jimmy in response. "Typhlosion, use Flame Wheel!"

Typhlosion nodded, tucked itself into a circular position, engulfed its body in flames, and began rolling through numerous Electric Pokémon, burning them. However, it proved barely effective against them, for more and more Pokémon took the place of their fallen comrades. It didn't take long for Typhlosion and Meganium to become exhausted, much to the distress of their Trainers. The horde of Electric Pokémon began to close on the four of them...

_**"Miss Serena, one of the locations attacked by the Electric Pokémon is Magenta Plaza."**_

"Oh my Arceus, we're screwed!" exclaimed Vincent as he attended to his Meganium. "Screwed, I tell ya!"

"No, we're not!" Jimmy cried determinedly. "Typhlosion, use Flamethrower!"

The Volcano Pokémon fired the attack on the advancing Electric Pokémon, but they all managed to dodge it with great ease. Then, a Magnezone roared furiously and fired a Zap Cannon at Typhlosion, electrocuting it severely and knocking it out. Jimmy gasped in horror and tried to attend to his Pokémon, but instead had to dodge a Thunderbolt fired by a Plusle. He tried crawling towards his fallen Typhlosion, only to be surrounded by several Magnemite and Magneton.

"No, Jimmy!" Vincent shouted.

_**"Alright, then. Marina, you lead some of the others to Magenta Plaza."**_

"Wani-Wani!" a voice shouted. "Use Crunch on 'em!"

_**"Okay, gotcha!"**_

A Feraligatr appeared and began biting down on one Electric-type Pokémon after another with glowing teeth. Any Pokémon who managed to avoid the Crunch tried to fire Electric-type attacks at the Feraligatr named Wani-Wani. However, before they could do so, they were subdued by numerous other attacks.

Jimmy and Vincent gasped in relief as several people, mostly Gym Leaders, arrived at the scene. Then, their relief turned into shock as they recognized their leader.

"_Marina_?!" they both shouted at once in surprise.

"Jimmy?" replied Marina, equally surprised. "Vincent?"

* * *

A much louder thunderclap echoed across Lumiose City.

* * *

**Vert Plaza**

_**"There's another horde at Vert Plaza, Miss Serena!"**_

Lucas battled alongside a few other Trainers as dozens of Electric-type Pokémon advanced on them. His Infernape and Magmortar tried to hold their own against their opponents, but the drizzle began to wear them out faster than usual, and their constant dodging of Electric attacks was increasingly exhaustive.

_"Crap,"_ thought Lucas. _"Crap, this is not good! Not good at all!"_

**_"Dawn, Johanna, Zoey, Kenny, you all lead these guys to Vert Plaza and take care of those guys!"_**

"Pachirisu, Discharge!"

"Umbreon, use Swift!"

"Shadow Claw, Glameow!"

"Breloom, you use Stun Spore!"

_**"You got it, Serena!"**_

These four attacks, combined with dozens of others, relentlessly and violently hit the Electric Pokémon, defeating most of them and critically wounding the remainder. Lucas whirled around and saw Dawn, Johanna, Zoey, and Kenny, along with several others, most of them Gym Leaders, running into Vert Plaza, their Pokémon primed and ready for battle. Upon spotting and recognizing Lucas, Dawn's eyes widened, but he nodded at her as thanks and turned back to the Electric Pokémon.

"Infernape, use Flare Blitz!" he commanded. "Magmortar, use Fire Blast!"

* * *

Prism Tower became illuminated by a flash of lightning, which was followed by one of the loudest thunderclaps of the day.

* * *

**The Prism Tower**

_**"What about Hilbert and Hilda? How do we find them, Serena?"**_

Inside the basement of Prism Tower, Lloyd cackled madly as he and the others watched a live news report on the Electric-type Pokémon attack on Lumiose City, using a stolen portable TV. Floyd and Nick both looked uncomfortable at the destruction they helped cause, while Adam was evidently distracted by other matters.

Namely, trying to silence Hilbert and Hilda.

"WILL YOU TWO BE **QUIET**?!" he snapped. "IT'S GETTING SO FREAKING **ANNOYING**!"

"Sure," Hilbert replied.

"Really?"

"Nope. You get us out right now, or you'll be sorry!"

_**"Well, where's a place they'd be going to if there's Pokémon running amok outside?"**_

"ARCEUS-DAMN YOU!" Adam angrily kicked the Dialga plushie, although his attack didn't affect Hilbert, who was safe inside the toy. "DAMN YOU, **DAMN YOU**!"

"What's wrong, mister?" asked Hilda mockingly. "Mad?"

"YOU SHUT THE FU-"

_**"Prism Tower! That is where they'd be going! They are probably gonna wait it out and make their getaway once the Electric Pokémon are dealt with! And considering the seclusion of the room, I would assume they would have to be hiding out in the basement!"**_

Before Adam could finish his sentence, there was a loud crashing noise that originated in the upper floor. Nick fell out of his seat, startled by the sound.

"What's that, what's that?!" he cried.

"It's called thunder, that's what, idiot," snapped Adam. He then shook his head angrily. "Arceus-damn it, I swear to _Arceus_-"

_**"Alright. Let's head there now!"**_

Suddenly, the door leading into the basement flew off its hinges, nearly hitting Lloyd. Nick let out a high-pitched scream and hid behind a startled Floyd.

"Oh, no!" he cried. "It's the cops! We're screwed now!"

_**"Wait a minute...where's Tepig?"**_

However, instead of the police officers, a Tepig trotted into the room. It stared up at the four villains, then snorted out flames from its nostrils.

"TEPIG **TEPIG**!"

...

Adam and Lloyd immediately burst out laughing at the sight of the Fire Pig Pokémon. As for Floyd and Nick, they looked at it cautiously.

"A _Tepig_?!" Adam exclaimed between laughs. "A freakin' _Tepig_?! This-This is just HILARIOUS!"

"Tepig?..." asked Hilbert.

Tepig heard its friend's voice and turned its head towards the Dialga plushie. Upon realizing Hilbert was trapped inside it, the Fire Pig Pokémon cried happily "TEPIG!" before glaring at Adam cautiously. The green-haired man looked back and forth between Tepig and the Dialga toy, quickly deducing Tepig was Hilbert's Pokémon.

"Ah, so you're here to save your little friend, eh?" he asked, taking out his Poké Ball. "Well, TOO BAD! GO, **DELPHOX**!"

Delphox emerged from its Poké Ball and barked aggressively at Tepig, causing it to flinch.

_**"Miss Serena! Snivy and Oshawott are missing too! All three of the BW Agency's mascots are **_**missing_!"_**

"Delphox, use Mystical Fire," Adam commanded in a bored voice.

"TEPIG!" Hilbert and Hilda cried simultaneously.

Before Delphox could fire its attack at the helpless Tepig...

"OSHA-**WOOOOOTTT!**"

A Water Gun appeared and sprayed Delphox, affecting it. However, because Adam's Delphox went through years of training and acquiring its strength, and the Water Gun was extremely weak and barely focused, the Fire-type Fox Pokémon didn't suffer any serious damage from the Water-type move. The quartet of villains glared at the doorway, where they spotted an extremely nervous Oshawott standing there, trembling beside a confident Snivy.

"The entire Unova starter trio?" Floyd asked.

"What're _they_ all doing here?!" exclaimed Nick.

"Snivy!" Hilda shouted. "Oshawott! Oh, thank _goodness_ you're here! We're inside the plushie toys!"

Snivy glared at the Dialga and Palkia plushies, then it prepared to fire an attack to get its friends and costars out. However, Adam noticed what it was planning to do.

"Oh, no you don't!" he snarled, pointing at the Grass Snake Pokémon. "Delphox, use Flamethrower!"

The Fox Pokémon barked and fired a stream of flames from its mouth, which barreled towards Snivy, causing it to stop and flinch. Tepig, realizing the danger its friend was in, snorted and charged towards Snivy as fast as it could. In seconds, it managed to knock it out of the way and take the Flamethrower instead. Upon feeling the powerful flames searing its body, the Fire Pig Pokémon let out a loud cry of pain and agony before being knocked into a wall and rendered unconscious.

Hilbert and Hilda gasped, hearing what happened to Tepig.

"Oh my Arceus, _Tepig_!" cried Hilda.

"TEPIG!" Hilbert screamed in anguish. "NO, TEPIG! **NO!**"

"Oshawott!" Oshawott exclaimed in horror, using Water Gun on the unconscious Tepig to douse any remaining flames and embers.

"Sn-Snivy!" cried Snivy, shocked that its colleague decided to take the Flamethrower for it, despite their poor relationship.

"Well," Adam said, "_that_ was surprising...ly _cliched_." However, he shrugged coldly. "Whatever. I've had enough amusement for one day..." He made a dismissive wave towards Snivy and Oshawott. "Delphox, dispatch the other two. I don't think we'll be getting enough money from these weak little Pokémon."

"NO!" Hilbert and Hilda roared.

Delphox nodded and prepared to fire a Flamethrower attack at Snivy and Oshawott when...

"BRAIXEN, USE FLAMETHROWER!" a familiar voice ordered.

Delphox fired its Flamethrower, but before it could hit Snivy and Oshawott, a second Flamethrower appeared and struck the first one, causing a small, fiery explosion. Adam let out a roar of disgust as a cloud of smoke billowed across the room and engulfed his sights. Once the smoke cleared, he opened his eyes...and gasped.

Standing there was Serena and her Braixen. Behind her were Clemont, Bonnie, Max, Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, Jones, Cynthia, and their Pokémon.

"No..." he moaned. "No, not you!"

"Yes, us!" Serena exclaimed. "NOW!"

"Chespin, use Vine Whip!" Clemont ordered, pointing at the Dialga and Palkia dolls. Chespin nodded and used its vines to retrieve both toys, carrying them over to the side of its team, drawing an angered, inhuman roar from Adam and a sad moan from Nick. Jones then pointed at both toys.

"Snivy, use Leaf Blade to free Sir Hilbert and Madam Hilda!" the butler commanded. Snivy nodded and used the attack to slash open the toys, freeing both Presidents.

"Awwwww!" Nick moaned sadly. "And I was gonna give them to my kids as Christmas presents..."

"You and your stupid imaginary family..." replied Lloyd, snickering deviously.

"Sir, madam!" Jones exclaimed as he embraced both Hilbert and Hilda. "I'm glad you're both safe!"

"Thanks, Jones!" replied Hilda.

As for Hilbert, he had already broken the hug so he could retrieve Tepig, who was still unconscious. To his relief, the Fire Pig Pokémon moaned and stirred.

"Oh, Tepig!" the teenage boy cried in relief as Tepig regained consciousness. "Thank Arceus you're okay!"

"Tepig..." replied Tepig weakly, giving a small smile.

"NO!" Adam roared as he stomped his foot on the floor. "NO, NO, **NO**! THIS WASN'T HOW IT WAS SUPPOSED TO **GO**!"

Bonnie took a step forward, looking completely outraged. "Well, too bad, mister!" she replied. "'Cause you LOST!"

"DEDENNE!" snapped Dedenne angrily.

At the little girl's remark, the green-haired man sneered as Delphox joined his side.

"Not yet..." he snarled.

_**"You...You be careful, Serena. I know what's going on between you and Adam, so if you find yourself coming up against him, I want you to be careful. Alright?"**_

Upon remembering Ash's words, Serena's eyes widened in terror as she gazed upon Adam and Delphox. She knew they were looking at her and Braixen, she _knew_ it. However, as much as she wanted to get away from him and his evil, she knew there was no way Adam was going to stop his atrocities until he got his revenge on her. The nightmare will never end, and more innocent people will get hurt...unless one of them paid the ultimate price...

With a heavy sigh, Serena stepped away from the rest of the group, and towards Adam. At first, Braixen was shocked to see her Trainer make such a move. However, she came to the same realization as Serena, and followed her without a second thought. As the villain sneered malevolently, Hilbert gasped.

"Serena, what're you doing?!" he cried.

"SERENA!" screamed Bonnie, her eyes watering with tears. "BRAIXEN!"

However, Serena ignored her friends' protests and came to a stop, just a yard, one dangerous yard away from Adam. His sneer widened as Delphox barked.

"Hello, little Serena..." he greeted.

The honey-haired girl took a deep breath, the memories of her journey and experiences flashing through her mind. It was now or never, she knew.

Then, Serena screeched with all of her might, "I'm DONE with you hurting innocent people, just to satisfy your sick needs, Adam! But now, no one else is going to pay because of a foolish mistake I made back at that accursed forest! I will atone to what I've done through this! It's time to settle this, Adam! Once and for all!"

* * *

_"Even the smallest ember can spark **a raging flame**."_

–Ancient Johto proverb

* * *

**Next time on "Judgment's Fall"**

**Adam:** DELPHOX, USE MYSTICAL FIRE!

**Serena:** BRAIXEN, USE FLAMETHROWER!

**Unknown #1:** Are you _really_ gonna stand by and just let your friends endanger themselves?...

**Unknown #2:** What in Arceus's name is Serena doing at the top of Prism Tower?!

**Ash:** SERENA, WATCH OUT!

**Serena:** NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! **ASH!**

**Adam:** Why is she still smiling?! Why is she still SMILING?!

**Unknown #3:** You wanna get to her, you gotta go through me first!

**Floyd:** I guess it's all over...

**Chapter 12: The Top of the Tower**

* * *

**A/N:** Oh dang, a really big showdown's about to begin between Serena and Adam! Who will triumph in the end?!

I'd like to thank those who reviewed (can't answer reviews right now, sorry):

**Ejennings167**

**Gyga (guest reviewer)**

**ChE clarinetist**

**justareadersofar**

**ajani's apprentice**

**xxxSMDxxx**

**edCOM02**

**platinumguest (guest reviewer)**

Well, hope you enjoyed this long chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	14. The Top of the Tower

**The Prism Tower**

Serena screeched with all her might, "I'm DONE with you hurting innocent people, just to satisfy your sick needs, Adam! But now, no one else is going to pay because of a foolish mistake I made back at that accursed forest! I will atone to what I've done through this! It's time to settle this, Adam! Once and for all!"

Adam's smirk widened into a sadistic grin upon hearing her declaration. "Ooh, I _love_ how confident you sound, _little Serena_," he replied in a low, malicious hiss. Then, he pointed at her and Braixen determinedly. "But I'm afraid that confidence is all gonna go CRASHING DOWN like a pile of bricks!"

As soon as he said the last sentence, Adam's Delphox began twirling its stick-like wand, the fire engulfing its one end turning into nothing but a yellowish-orange blur from the high speeds its movements took. Serena and Braixen watched Delphox gracefully move with nervousness and apprehension. Once the Fox Pokémon stopped twirling its wand and aimed it directly at the right side of Serena's face, the honey-haired girl's eyes widened in horror. She knew what Delphox was thinking.

Suddenly, she heard a low growl beside her. Serena looked at her side and saw Braixen staring back at her, nodding confidently.

"Are you sure you wanna do this, Braixen?" she asked.

Braixen barked and nodded again in response. That was all the confirmation the Performer needed.

Upon spotting this interaction between Trainer and Pokémon, Adam burst out into maniacal laughter.

"Ohhhhh, you two are getting along JUST fine!" he exclaimed, almost in surprise. "You're definitely doing better with that Braixen than that worthless Fennekin!"

Serena's eyelid twitched, but she maintained her calm demeanor and replied, "Ohhhhh, but this Braixen just so happens to be the same Fennekin that burned off half of your face, Adam." The Performer immediately put on a battling pose, as did Braixen. "And we'll prove to you just how far we've come together!"

"Yeah, and we'll help!" Bonnie cried.

"Dedenne!" chirped the Antenna Pokémon, moving from its unofficial owner's shoulder to the top of her head.

"That's right!" exclaimed Hilbert.

However, Serena replied, "No."

"NO?!" everyone else replied at once.

"Serena, you need all the support you can ge-" Shauna began.

"I said _no_, Shauna," Serena interrupted. "This is between me and Adam. No one else has to be involved."

"But we wanna help!" Max cried.

"Adam _will_ use that to his advantage. He doesn't care about rules or ethics. If he's gonna play dirty, then he'll do it without a second thought."

"Then what makes you think he'll go after you and only you?" Cynthia asked. "Without any regard for rules in the first place?"

"I burned off half of his face last time we met. He is _not_ gonna let that go, and seeking revenge against me is his top priority, over everything else. As long as I settle matters with him personally, he'll disregard everyone and everything else." She narrowed her eyes at Adam, who was beginning to look bored. "Trust me, I know."

"Can we get on with this already?!" snapped Adam impatiently. "I'm REALLY itching to carry out my revenge!"

"Oh, I've been waiting for _you_. After all, you have the first move."

The green-haired man raised an eyebrow, but continued to grin. "Well, if you insist, little Serena. Just remember, it'll be your funeral. _Literally_."

"Oh, I can hardly wait..."

Adam's grin widened even further, and he pointed at Serena. "DELPHOX, USE MYSTICAL FIRE!"

Serena pointed back at Adam. "BRAIXEN, USE FLAMETHROWER!"

Both Fox Pokémon howled and fired their respective attacks. Both Fire-type moves collided with each other in the middle of Serena and Adam, and resulted in a large explosion that knocked everything in its vicinity backward. The basement room began to fill with a billowing cloud of thick smoke...

* * *

Outside Prism Tower, the drizzle had already escalated into a heavy downpour. Another lightning bolt illuminated the city, followed by the boom of a thunderclap.

* * *

**Chapter 12: The Top of the Tower**

* * *

**The PWT Pokémon Center  
Lumiose City**

The temporary Pokémon Center, established by the BW Agency specifically for the PWT, was already being overwhelmed by the massive amount of patients coming in for injuries related to the invasion of the Electric Pokémon hordes. All seven selected Nurse Joys and their assistant Pokémon rushed from room to room, from bed to bed, attending to one patient after another. However, the number of injured was so massive that they had to select civilian volunteers to assist them.

Eventually, after an hour had passed of treating patients, the Kalos Nurse Joy approached the Sinnoh Nurse Joy. Both looked evidently exhausted from the workload.

"Do we have any numbers on the wounded?" the Kalos Joy asked.

"From my end," replied the Sinnoh Joy, "it looks like over a hundred, and I'm talking both people and Pokémon. And I expect that number to increase even more."

"My Arceus... It's a good thing we don't have reports of fatalities."

"But we have so many in critical-"

"Nurse Joy, Nurse Joy!" a voice shouted.

Both Joys turned around and saw the Kanto Nurse Joy approaching them. Following behind her were Alexa and Brock, who were supporting a semiconscious Ash. His stomach wound was getting worse by the minute, the amount of blood flowing from it becoming larger and more widespread, thanks to the intense rainfall occurring outside. The whole abdomen portion of his dark-blue shirt was stained dark with red. Pikachu was sitting on Ash's shoulder, trying to keep him conscious by delivering an extremely soft Thunderbolt to him, so soft that the electricity was more or less just static. The nurses' eyes widened in shock at the wound.

"He needs help!" Alexa cried.

"Please help him, Nurse Joys!" pleaded Brock. "My friend's bleeding out really badly."

"Oh my Arceus," the Kalos Joy replied as the Sinnoh Joy examined Ash's wound. "What happened to him?"

"A Delphox burned him."

"A Delphox? I thought all of the Pokémon running amok were Electric-types?"

"It's a long story," Alexa piped in response. "Just treat him, please!"

"Wigglytuff!" the Kalos Joy called.

"Chansey!" cried the Sinnoh Joy.

The two Normal-type nurse Pokémon arrived with a stretcher. With their owners' help, both Pokémon hoisted Ash onto said stretcher and strapped him onto it. Before Pikachu even knew it, the Mouse Pokémon was already being removed from Ash's shoulder by a reluctant and concerned Brock.

"Pika?!" he cried. "Pika pika pikachu! Pika-ka, Pika-Chu!"

"I'm sorry, Pikachu," replied Brock. "But we need to stand by and let these Nurse Joys do their job. Trust me, Ash will be fine."

Pikachu could only nod sadly in agreement as he, Brock, and Alexa watched the Nurse Joys, Chansey, and Wigglytuff take Ash away on the stretcher.

* * *

Nearby the PWT Pokémon Center, dozens of people were gathered underneath a tent in a large crowd, being coordinated by a deeply overwhelmed Officer Jenny. The crowd consisted of people confused by the chaos, wondering where their loved ones were, as well as evacuees from any buildings damaged by the hordes.

Mingling among these people were the disguised Diancie, or Princess Diane, along with her servants and the Team Flare grunts assigned to protect her.

"I wonder what's going on, Dace," Diane said. "There's a lot of people here, and we're not going anywhere..."

"Well, whatever it is," replied Dace, "I can only imagine it's not safe for you to go any further into the city."

"Hey, guys," a grunt piped. "Reports are saying they've set up a barricade surrounding the Pokémon World Festival and Prism Tower. We can't get in."

"Well, then!" Merrick exclaimed. "I guess this means we're staying here!"

"Awwwww!" moaned Diane as she bent down. "And I was hoping to see some nice performances at that thingy I was going to!"

Then, the princess glared toward a random direction, where she could easily see the PWT Pokémon Center through a narrow clearing of pedestrians. Apparently, there were lots and lots of people being taken inside the Center, and she could see more than a few of them looking grievously wounded.

_"Hmmm... Did a big accident happen at the festival?..."_ she thought.

A second later, she spotted one of these injured people being taken on a stretcher. Her eyes widened as soon as she saw his outline.

Her long eyesight never failed her...and there was definitely no mistaking that red cap the person was wearing.

_"Ash?..."_ she thought in shock.

* * *

**Inside the Prism Tower**

Serena coughed as she opened her eyes as best as she could. She was lying on the floor of the basement room, having been knocked back by the explosion between Braixen and Delphox's attacks colliding. The entire room was filled with thick, brown smoke, and she could barely see anything even if it was a foot in front of her. The room's lighting didn't help her at all; several of the lights were destroyed or damaged by the explosion, making the room extremely dim.

As Serena weakly stood up, she heard the moans of her friends, plus some shuffling movements. She sighed in relief, knowing from this that everyone was okay.

Then, she gasped softly. There was one moan she expected to hear, but never heard from it...which meant someone was unaccounted for...

"Braixen?!" the Performer called. "_Braixen_?! If you can hear me, answer me!"

She didn't hear any response from Braixen...and not even one from Adam, Delphox, or one of their cronies. Either they were knocked unconscious by the blast...

Or Adam was planning on a devious comeback...

"BRAIXEN!" Serena screamed.

"Serena, is everything okay?!" called Hilbert.

"Yeah, everything's okay, Hilbert!" She turned to Hilbert's outline, her eyes filled with concern. "I want you to get everyone and get out! Stay as a group! Adam could be planning an ambush of some kind, so stay on your feet!" Then, Serena turned back to the thick cloud of smoke in front of her. "I'm gonna find Braixen!"

"Gotcha!" Serena heard Hilbert approaching someone else. "G-Good luck!"

Serena didn't respond, instead beginning her venture into the smoke, covering her nostrils and shielding her eyes as she did so. At first, she was rather unsure if she would rather keep walking or remain still, for she could barely even see where she was going. However, her determination to find Braixen won her over, and she kept on going. It didn't take her long, not even over ten steps, until she heard a soft whimpering ahead. Spotting a familiar outline, illuminated by the brief flashes of light from a couple of damaged lightbulbs on the ceiling, she sighed in relief and ran up to it. She could recognize the tufts of red fur sticking out of the fox-like ears.

"Braixen!" Serena cried worriedly as she attended to her Fox Pokémon, who was lying motionlessly on the ground. "Braixen, are you okay?"

However, she noticed that her first Pokémon was trembling severely, as if having just been pulled out of ice-cold water, and completely focused on something in front of them both. Fearfully, Serena followed Braixen's gaze and saw the Fox Pokémon was looking at the outline of someone, or _something_ that was standing up.

They watched as this outline turned around with the swish of a furry tail, all the while illuminated in mere split-seconds by the flickering lights. Serena's eyes widened in horror as she distinctly recognized the red eyes staring back at her and Braixen with hatred and cruelty. And, just like a scenario straight out of a horror movie, the smoke started clearing out, while the figure stepped towards them, leaning in their direction and revealing all of its previously unknown features to them.

Delphox then let out a loud, mighty roar that reverberated throughout the room.

Serena flinched at the sound of Delphox's rage, but Braixen's reaction was an entirely different matter. The younger Fox Pokémon whimpered in terror, like a pathetic, frightened little Lillipup, and fled behind its Trainer for shelter and protection. Serena could feel Braixen shaking even more intensely, her whimpering still present.

"Braixen?!" she cried, watching as Delphox continued to approach them. "Braixen, I need you to stay strong! Come on, Braixen! Use Flamethrower!"

However, Braixen remained in its fragile, frightened position. Delphox grinned, savoring the distress of its opponent, and raised its wand, a fire appearing on it.

"BRAIXEN!" Serena screamed, fearing what was going to come next. "BRAIXEN, I NEED YOU! FLAMETHROWER!"

Serena's scream brought Braixen out of its stupor. Realizing the danger her Trainer was in, the Fox Pokémon leaped into action, jumping in front of her. With a mighty bark, Braixen fired the Fire-type attack at Delphox, who did not have enough time to dodge it. The larger Fox Pokémon was sent flying back into the smoke, vanishing in it with a roar of outrage and surprise. Seconds later, both Trainer and Pokémon heard a loud crashing noise, followed by a surprised yelp from Adam.

"WHAT IN THE WORLD?!" he shouted from within the smoke. "WHA- WHERE AM I?!" The villain then started coughing. "WHAT **IS** THIS SMOKE?!"

"SO, WHO'S THE COWARD **NOW**, ADAM?!" called Serena. "COME ON OUT AND FACE ME!"

Braixen loudly barked once in emphasis. Both heard the villain grunt, then chuckle malevolently.

"Oh, we'll come on out and face you all right... We'll come out and give you everything we've GOT! **DELPHOX**!"

Roaring loudly and madly, Delphox leaped out of the smoke at high speeds and tackled Braixen across the room before she could even make a counterattack. It used such extreme force that when Braixen recovered and tried to hold it off with her own strength, she was still sliding across the room, as if Delphox was not making any effort in pushing her. Braixen's toe-claws dug so deep into the floor that it made a loud grinding noise that would've brought chills down to a person's bone.

Serena gasped as she watched Braixen being overwhelmed by the overly aggressive Delphox. Then, she gasped again when Delphox started biting Braixen repeatedly in the head, neck, and shoulders, putting as much energy into its jaws as it possibly could. Braixen yelped and wailed as specks of blood flew in the air.

"NO, BRAIXEN!" Serena screeched. She then turned back towards Adam, who was emerging from the smoke cackling. "YOU **MONSTER**!"

"And since when were there any rules for this battle?" Adam asked in response. "I thought this was going to be a fight to the finish?"

The Performer's eyes widened in absolute horror. Tears flowed from them as she looked back at Braixen and Delphox, who were still sliding across the room from the latter's powerful tackling. When both Fox Pokémon collided into a wall near the doorway and smashed through it, Serena gasped again and ran up to the scene.

"BRAIXEN!"

A Flamethrower suddenly flew in her direction. In her surprise, she cried out and slipped on the floor, narrowly avoiding the attack as she fell. While standing back up, Serena heard Delphox bark furiously, soon followed by its own yelps and wails, along with Braixen's aggressive growling. As the dust continued to settle, she realized that Braixen had turned the tables on Delphox, biting down hard on its neck as it struggled to tear itself free from her grip.

"DAMN IT, DELPHOX!" Adam shouted. "SHOW THAT BRAIXEN NO MERCY!"

Delphox howled madly before flailing around violently, still attempting to break free from Braixen. Then, with a vicious growl, it fired a particularly large Flamethrower over Braixen's shoulder. Since it was still flailing, the Flamethrower hit many portions of the room, destroying everything it hit. The ceiling was one of the places being hit by the Flamethrower, and pieces of metal and concrete began to fall. A large slab of concrete fell from the ceiling and towards Braixen and Delphox.

"LOOK OUT!" shouted Serena.

Braixen saw the slab coming and released her grip on Delphox, dodging the piece seconds before it hit the ground and shattered into smaller pieces. Delphox dodged it as well, and then fired a Mystical Fire attack at Braixen's direction. She managed to dodge the attack as well, causing Delphox to bark angrily.

"DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME RAGING, DELPHOX!" Adam snapped. "USE PSYSHOCK!"

Delphox fired a red sphere of psychic energy at Braixen.

"COUNTER WITH HIDDEN POWER!" ordered Serena.

Braixen created several bright spheres of powerful energy and fired them at the Psyshock. They started rotating around it, and as the Psyshock hit one of them, they all exploded at the same time, creating another, smaller cloud of smoke. Delphox growled again, infuriated that this Braixen was holding her own against it.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YA WAITING FOR, DELPHOX?!" Adam's voice called. "CLEAR THAT SMOKE OUT WITH MYSTICAL FIRE!"

Delphox growled once again before firing the attack, clearing the smoke out. However, Serena and Braixen were both suddenly absent from the battlefield.

"**WHAT THE**?!" Adam twirled around, looking in all directions. He realized that the first cloud of smoke hadn't fully dissipated. "You stupid little girl... You stupid little Braixen... Oh, I'm gonna make sure you both pay for this... Ohhhhh, I REALLY AM gonna enjoy making you pay, so dearly pay... Pay, pay, _pay_, PAY, **PAY**!"

Delphox howled so loudly at the ceiling that it began to tremble due to the damage dealt by its Flamethrower. Seconds later, another Flamethrower burst through the cloud of smoke, hitting the Fox Pokémon squarely in the chest with such power that it smashed through the other wall next to the doorway.

Adam's good eye widened as he remembered the last time something like this had happened... It was when he lost the right half of his face to that Fennekin...

"No..." he moaned. "No, no, _no_... Not this again... NOT AGAIN! DELPHOX, FIRE EVERYTHING YOU GOT!"

Desperately, Delphox began firing all of its attacks into the smoke, but wound up missing their targets. All the while, Braixen countered with attacks of its own, some of which hit the other Fox Pokémon. With every hit Braixen made, Adam began to lose another well-needed piece of his sanity.

"No, no, no, no, no..." he repeated. "No, no, no. Not again... NOT AGAIN!"

Adam immediately fled the room, Delphox following right behind him. Serena and Braixen stepped out of the smoke, looking utterly satisfied.

"I guess we're not the only ones scared..." remarked the honey-haired girl. Braixen barked in agreement. "Come on, Braixen! Let's stop him!"

The two of them dashed out of the basement, just seconds before the entire ceiling collapsed onto the floor. Serena gasped in shock and turned around to stare at the now-demolished doorway. She knew Hilbert got the others out, since she hadn't hear any supportive cheering for her. But she didn't hear anything from Floyd and not even Adam's other two goons. Even though Floyd had betrayed her and the others, even willingly hurt Max, she still could not wish bodily harm to him, even if her life depended on it. After all, he helped her get through a serious emotional crisis concerning her goals, time and again.

For someone who claimed to be as evil as Adam, Serena could tell Floyd regretted everything he has done...

She suddenly saw a spark at the corner of her eye. Seconds later, both she and Braixen ducked, narrowly avoiding the Mystical Fire barreling down the hallway.

"Ohhhhh, I am **SO** glad you got out of that room, little Serena!" Adam called. "I _definitely_ wouldn't feel fulfilled if I didn't see your demise! Especially if it wasn't from the hands of me and Delphox!" She saw him turn to his Fox Pokémon. "Mystical Fire again, Delphox, and larger this time. I want to see them FRY!"

Delphox snorted and nodded. Then, it raised its wand, preparing to fire the attack.

"BRAIXEN, USE YOUR BEST FLAMETHROWER!" Serena commanded. "GIVE IT EVERYTHING YOU'VE **GOT**!"

Braixen leaped to its feet and fired the Flamethrower from its mouth. At almost the same time, Delphox fired the Mystical Fire from its wand.

Like last time, the two attacks collided and went off in a massive explosion. Serena and Adam both covered their faces as a large cloud of smoke, larger than the one from the first explosion, filled the hallway at a fast speed. They heard a part of the ceiling collapsing in front of them, and once they opened their eyes, they both saw that the ceiling did indeed collapse in front of them. However, the only portion that collapsed was between them, thus dividing the two.

**"NO!"** Serena shouted.

**"ARCEUS-DAMN IT!"** Adam roared.

* * *

Elsewhere, Floyd led Lloyd and Nick down another hallway. The trio had managed to flee the room immediately after the first explosion occurred between Braixen and Delphox's attacks. Currently, the trio were now desperately trying to find a staircase, although their luck was running short by the minute.

"Great!" Floyd snapped as he and the others turned right and entered another hallway. "Why doesn't this place have any _maps_?!"

"What I don't understand is why we had to leave the boss behind..." replied Nick.

"At this point, Nick, **NOTHING** would have stopped him from seeking his revenge. There wasn't any point in wasting time by trying to get him to come along with us while we had that opportunity." Floyd looked behind him as he continued running. "Adam is DONE for! Serena's gonna defeat him and Delphox, and all those cops will throw him into the slammer. The only thing we can do now is improvise. We go to the top of Prism Tower, have Sid give us the extraction, go back to Forest Base, and demand not only a ransom, but the release of Adam. Hopefully there's still Electric Pokémon running amok in the city..."

"But who's gonna be the boss of this operation while Adam's out of the picture?"

Floyd's eyes softened as he replied sternly, "_I_ will be the acting leader."

"_You_?" Lloyd asked, chuckling. "You can't even lead a herd of Mareep off a cliff! What makes you think you're suitable to lead us?!"

"Because it's either me, the person who makes up all the dumb ideas and decisions, or the psycho who cares about nothing but bloodshed. Make your pick."

Lloyd and Nick fell silent. Floyd's insult sounded _a lot_ like the insults Adam would give them. Looking at one another, they concluded the same thing.

Floyd would _definitely_ do as acting leader.

In the meantime, Floyd looked down at the person in his arms. In the midst of all the confusion while fleeing, he spotted her accidentally separating herself from the others as they too fled the basement. He had managed to knock her out and bring her along while the others didn't notice. If only he had the other one; that way the ransom potential would be doubled. However, he knew that he would have to do with just one BW Agency President as a bargaining chip.

* * *

**The Pokémon World Festival  
Outside the Prism Tower**

"Hey, looks like the others did some nice work with those Electric Pokémon!"

Clemont led Bonnie, Hilbert, and the others out of Prism Tower, where they were greeted by the tattered, destroyed remains of the Pokémon World Festival. However, the Electric-type Pokémon responsible for the destruction were all lying motionlessly on the ground, defeated, out for the count. May, Norman, Misty, Cilan, Paul, Trip, Lyra, Khoury, Alain, Mairin, Barry, and the members of both May and Norman's group and Misty and Cilan's group were standing triumphantly over the battlefield.

"Whoa, awesome!" cried Bonnie excitedly. "So THIS is the power of friendship and teamwork!"

"Dedenne!" Dedenne chirped, nodding its head in agreement.

"Hey, you guys!" May, Misty, and Cilan called, waving at the group retreating out of Prism Tower.

"Hey!" Clemont replied as he ran up to them, after which he began panting. "We...We got them...out..."

"Wait a minute," May said. "Where's Serena?"

"She stayed behind," replied Shauna. "She was gonna hold them back. There was a really big explosion when we left her..."

"Oh, no!" exclaimed Misty, forgetting the rivalry she had with the honey-haired girl. "Should-Should we go inside the tower and get her?"

"Yeah, we've gotta go get her!" Clemont cried, having recovered from his panting fit. He then turned to Jones. "Jones, get Hilbert and Hilda outta here. We don't want Adam and his cronies to go after them if they see them again." He then looked down at Bonnie, fearing what would come next. "Bonnie, I need you to go with them."

"What?!" Bonnie cried. She then stomped her foot defiantly. "_Why_?! I wanna go help Serena!"

"Yeah, same here!" exclaimed Hilbert in protest.

"DEDE!" snapped the Antenna Pokémon.

"Do you _remember_ what Adam tried to do with you?! He doesn't care if you're seven as much as he won't care if you were seventy! He will hurt you _bad_ if he has to!" Clemont then looked at Hilbert. "As for you, you and Hilda are in enough danger already if these guys want to kidnap you for ransom!"

"I don't care!" the president replied angrily. "I have to help her! She's my friend! And I also have to avenge Ash! That Adam jerk nearly killed him!"

"I will not allow it, sir," Jones said sternly. "Mr. Clemont is right. You're wallowing into further peril and distress if you go with them. I shall take you to shelter-"

"NO!"

"I don't wanna go either!" screamed Bonnie.

"Bonnie-" Clemont began.

"Don't you Bonnie me, Clemont! I wanna go HELP! I wanna-"

"Bonnie, he's right," interrupted May, kneeling down so she could be at the same height as the little girl. "There's no telling what these guys would do, and I trust the judgment of your brother and Ash when they say they're worse than Team Rocket. It's alright, I'll go with you if you want me to."

The seven-year-old pouted, but replied calmly, "Alright..."

Clemont and Max's eyelids twitched upon hearing Bonnie's response, but they knew better than to say anything on the matter. Then, everyone's attention was caught by a horrified gasp. All pairs of eyes on the scene turned to Jones, who was looking around worriedly, panic appearing on his face.

"Jones?" Hilbert asked. "What's wrong?"

"It's Madam Hilda!" the butler cried. "She's missing!"

**"WHAT?!"** everyone else shouted.

As if on cue, a thunderclap boomed across the air.

* * *

**Inside the Prism Tower  
A few minutes later**

"That damn little Serena... Where'd she _go_?..."

Adam turned his head from left to right and back repeatedly, his yellow eyes glinting with pure hatred. He was strolling down an empty hallway, Delphox trailing right behind him, an impatient expression etched on its face. After being inconveniently separated from his opponent, Adam had taken to wandering around the hallways of Prism Tower in search of her. However, all he could find was one empty hallway after another. He cursed whoever built this tower for not installing any maps around.

Suddenly, Delphox barked, catching Adam's attention. "What is it, Delphox?" he asked. "Do you see her?!"

However, upon turning back, the green-haired man saw that Delphox had abruptly stopped walking. Its entire frame was trembling, and it looked close to exploding in a fit of uncontrollable rage. Adam rolled his good eye, grunted in disgust, and approached his Fox Pokémon, who was panting in an attempt to stay calm. Its red eyes were so wide in anger that it looked like it was borderline-insane. Adam knew it was thinking about Braixen as much as he was thinking about Serena.

"Keep your damn act TOGETHER, Delphox!" the villain snapped. "We've got a little girl and a Braixen to kill! We don't wanna be caught off-guard, now do we?!"

When Delphox didn't respond, Adam gritted his teeth. It had been such a long time since his Fox Pokémon was so uncooperative. In fact, so long that he nearly forgot the discipline he enforced on it whenever such stubbornness happened. However, the memories of it quickly returned to the forefront of his mind.

So, Adam punched Delphox extremely hard.

"YOU. WILL. DO. AS. I. **SAY.**" Then, his eyes narrowed. "Or do you want Fearow or Aggron to take your place in taking that stupid Braixen down?"

The Fox Pokémon glared daggers at its Trainer, but nodded without a hint of reluctance. Adam sneered, knowing how much Delphox hated his Fearow and Aggron.

"Good. Now, let's-"

**"ADAM!"**

"WHAT IN THE-?"

A Flamethrower barreled down the hallway, forcing Adam and Delphox to duck, feeling the heat of the passing fire above them. Once the flames cleared, both of them stood back up and saw Serena staring angrily at them, Braixen by her side, charcoal-gray smoke issuing from her open mouth.

"Hello, little Serena," greeted Adam, sneering. "Shall we finish this?"

"Yes, let's," Serena replied calmly.

"MYSTICAL FIRE!"

"FLAMETHROWER!"

Both Fire-type attacks collided and resulted in yet another massive explosion.

This time, however, Serena was ready for the explosion that followed. Upon feeling the force of it, she immediately held her ground, as did Braixen, while they heard Adam and Delphox crying out in surprise. Once she no longer felt any force against her, she pointed at Adam's direction, even though they were obscured by smoke.

"USE HIDDEN POWER, BRAIXEN!" she commanded at the top of her lungs.

The Fox Pokémon fired the attack into the cloud of smoke. They then heard Delphox grunt in pain, followed by Adam's scream of outrage.

"YOU STUPID SERENA!" he roared. "I'LL MAKE YOU **PAY**!"

"OH, I'D LOVE TO SEE YOU **TRY**!"

She heard Adam growling and ranting incoherently in his fury. Then, Delphox abruptly leaped out of the smoke and prepared to tackle Braixen.

"Braixen, watch out!" she cried.

Braixen barked at Delphox before dodging its attack. The older, larger Fox Pokémon tried tackling her again, but just like last time, she dodged it.

"Get it, Braixen!" ordered Serena.

After dodging Delphox's third attempt at tackling her, Braixen took advantage of her opponent's recovery to tackle it herself. Delphox roared in furious disbelief as she smashed its body hard against the floor, sending pieces flying into the air. Braixen then barked loudly in her opponent's face.

"Yeah, you go, Braixen!"

Noticing this, Adam snarled, "Delphox, you stay focused, damn it! Hurry up and destroy that miserable excuse of a Pokémon!"

Delphox barked furiously and fired a powerful Flamethrower over Braixen's shoulder, into the ceiling. Cracks appeared in the ceiling, and pieces began to fall on both Fox Pokémon. Before Braixen had time to react, dozens of pieces of metal and concrete became dislodged and collapsed on top of them both.

**"NO!"** Serena shrieked.

**"YES!"** roared Adam.

* * *

**The PWT Pokémon Center**

_**"NO!"**_

Ash's eyelids jerked open, and he was greeted with a huge burst of bright light. His eardrums were bombarded by a large cacophony of voices shouting and sounds of wheels squealing loudly and curtains being drawn. He moaned and covered his eyes, trying to remember what happened to him.

Two eyes, pupils covered in different shades of yellow... A feeling of paralysis, of being lifted up against his will... _An unimaginable searing pain in his abdomen_...

His hand unconsciously glided towards his stomach, which was still stinging faintly with pain. At first, he couldn't find the source of the stinging sensation. Then, upon reaching the right side of his stomach, the feeling was multiplied exponentially. Ash moaned and withdrew his hand immediately. He then stared upon his fingers and saw that the fingertips were dabbled with a dark-red liquid... He suddenly had a slight but rising feeling of nausea creeping within him...

Ash then looked at his left bedside. Sleeping in a chair was Brock, mumbling something about Nurse Joy. He then glanced at his right bedside, where he spotted Alexa sleeping on a chair of her own, with her Helioptile lying on her lap, also sleeping soundlessly. Then, he looked at a nearby table, where Pikachu was sleeping.

Then, he started to remember more. Adam and his gang, their plan to kidnap Hilbert and Hilda to demand a ransom, Floyd's betrayal...

"How bad, Nurse Joy?" a voice asked.

"Too bad," replied a familiar female voice. "We have over 250 people and Pokémon injured now. I still expect more patients to come in."

"Arceus..."

"Yeah. We have both the PWT Center and the local one, and yet, both of them combined cannot hold this many casualties. I've already called the mayor to help us set up another makeshift Pokémon Center nearby. Hopefully this will loosen the workload we're going through over here..."

"Is it true all of these Electric Pokémon went haywire to cover up an escape?"

Nurse Joy sighed. "Yes. Apparently, some criminals were trying to kidnap the BW Agency Presidents and demand a ransom from them. They obviously knew what was going to happen when they made a move. So, they decide to gather up many Electric Pokémon and turn them aggressive, just so they can make a quick getaway."

"Wow. And with no regard for innocent lives. It's a good thing their plan didn't go smoothly, and that the Electric Pokémon are being taken care of."

"Yes, that's right. But those crooks are still on the run..."

The voices trailed off, but Ash had heard enough. He couldn't believe Adam and his cronies were willing to wreak havoc and destruction upon Lumiose City, just to get a few thousand bucks or so. How he hated this kind of evil, one that blatantly disregards anyone and anything caught up in its path, and just dispatches them without reluctance in spite of their innocence in the whole matter. Oh, if only he could get out of here and get to Adam and his gang so he could teach them a lesson...

If only... Well, he could do it if he didn't have a severe injury...

"Are you _really_ gonna stand by and just let your friends endanger themselves?..."

Ash gasped and looked to the left side of his bed. Standing there was..._her_...

"So?" the girl asked. "Are you gonna answer the question?" When Ash didn't respond, she cracked a smile. "Ohhhhh, are you scared of me?"

"N-N-_No_..." stuttered Ash.

"Yes, you _are_. I can sense it. I can _feel_ it." The girl leaned close to Ash, causing him to try and move away from her, but his stomach injury prevented him from doing so. "_But_...I can also sense how determined you are to help your friends, despite your injury. And that determination outruns any fear you have of me or anything else in particular." She nodded with approval. "It's very impressive. Very impressive indeed. You set aside all other feelings and setbacks just to help innocent people."

"Well...I-I _have_ to. ...No one deserves to be left behind in the face of danger..."

The girl's smile widened significantly. "...And you help people not for the sake of it, not because it makes you feel better about yourself, but because you actually _care_ for them. Even if you don't know the person you're saving or not." She was leaning even closer to Ash. "And that's what I _always_ loved about you..._Ash_..."

Ash's eyes widened. "Have...Have we _met_ before?..."

The girl shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not... But, back to the matter at hand, I think you should go out there and help your friends. Resolve this sticky situation. Stop the bad guys. Be the hero. You know, the works. And before you ask about your wound, well, I'll tell you this: has a wound ever stopped you before?"

Ash didn't respond, instead placing his hand back on his injured stomach, all the while thinking about her words. The wound stung again, but it was not as severe this time. He then looked intensely into the girl's blue eyes, and then, she nodded, taking his gaze as confirmation about her assumption.

"There we go," she said. "That's the Ash Ketchum we all know and love..."

* * *

**Inside the Prism Tower**

"Braixen?!" Serena called. "_Braixen_?! BRAIXEN!"

However, all she could see before her was a pile of metal and concrete. As the dust settled, it was clear to her that Braixen and not even Delphox were going to come out of that. The honey-haired Performer collapsed on her knees, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Her Braixen, her beloved Braixen..._gone_?...

Suddenly, she heard a familiar cackling.

"Ohhhhh, this is just so SAVORY!" Adam exclaimed jubilantly. "Look at ya, little Serena, on your knees, whimpering like a baby! HAHAHAHAHA! And to think, you-you thought you could actually b-_beat_ me?! ME, of all people?! **HAHAHAHAHA!** SO FREAKING **HILARIOUS**! HILARIOUS, I TELL YA! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

Suddenly, Serena felt a rage like none other, flowing through her body like it was her new blood. She stood up and stared Adam without any trace of fear in her.

"AND YOU DON'T EVEN CARE IF YOUR DELPHOX **SURVIVED** THAT?!" she shouted in outrage.

To her shock, Adam shrugged dismissively, still grinning with triumph. "Well, as long as the end result is your misery, then it was all worth it."

Serena gritted her teeth in utmost fury. Adam had _really_ crossed a line now with his response. Did he seriously not care for his own Pokémon?!

"You..." she began. "_You_..." She clenched her fists in anger.** "YOU SADISTIC, UNGRATEFUL LITTLE-"**

"Now, now, now, little Serena!" Adam interrupted, cackling sadistically. "Do you really wanna have a timeout again?"

Before the honey-haired Trainer could even have a chance to respond, the outlines of several fallen ceiling pieces began to glow a bright pink. Both Serena and Adam watched as these pieces lifted themselves up, one by one. Before long, a weak, exhausted Delphox stumbled out of the wreckage, critically wounded and barely alive. Serena spotted her beloved Braixen still lying there, her motionless body half-buried underneath the remaining rubble. She couldn't even _bear_ to think if..._if_...

"I'm surprised to see you got yourself out of that in one piece, Delphox," Adam said flatly, addressing his Fox Pokémon.

Delphox snorted loudly and glared at the wreckage of the fallen ceiling. Upon spotting Braixen, its red eyes narrowed and it began to growl increasingly loudly in fury. Serena sensed that it clearly wanted to do more with her first Pokémon, just like how Adam wanted to have revenge on her so badly.

Like it mattered. Because...Adam got his revenge...

She approached Braixen's body and collapsed on her knees again, not caring if tiny pieces of concrete were digging into her skin. She cradled the Fox Pokémon's soft, furry head and laid it on her knees as she felt her entire composure falling apart. There was no way this was happening... She thought she could win...against _him_...

She desperately wanted to burst out in tears. She desperately wanted to lash out at Adam or Delphox or at least something nearby in anger. Oh, how she desperately _wanted_ to at least do _something_ to demonstrate how angry she was! But Serena knew she couldn't do it. She didn't want to give Adam any further satisfaction...

Suddenly, there was a burst of light, and Serena saw her Pancham materialize beside her, having apparently heard all of the commotion from inside its Poké Ball and finally gone out to investigate. Its eyes widened in horror, and it gasped upon recognizing its Performing partner unconscious, possibly dead in its Trainer's lap.

"What is _this_?" Adam exclaimed gleefully. "A _Pancham_?! Little Serena seriously caught herself a _Pokémon_?!" Then, he frowned and shook his head. "Nah. She couldn't have _possibly_ caught that thing! We all know she's just in this journey to please her beloved white knight in shining armor!"

"I caught it, fair and square, Adam..." snarled Serena. Her rage was boiling over to unimaginable levels. "You stop talking-"

However, Adam intentionally ignored her and continued, "Why, I'm pretty sure trading Fennekin for a Braixen wasn't enough to get Ash's attention, so you also decide to trade yourself a Pancham! I mean, Pancham are nice and cute; no doubt Ash would've had his eye on you for sure! Like, as IF! HAHAHAHAHA!"

Pancham recognized the insult almost immediately. And upon seeing Serena tremble severely, her teeth gritted and her eyes wide in pure rage, it decided to act. With an outraged cry, it fired a Dark Pulse attack at Delphox, who was too weakened to try and counter it. Adam gasped as his Fox Pokémon fell to the ground, defeated.

"WHY YOU LITTLE!" he screamed, his voice cracking. "THAT'S IT, DELPHOX! YOU'RE NO LONGER FIT FOR USE IN KILLING SERENA! ...I should've known you'd fail me like this in the first place! Stupid Pokémon..." He reached into his pocket, pulled out another Poké Ball, and threw it. "GO, **FEAROW**!"

The Beak Pokémon emerged from its Poké Ball and glared at Pancham, which sweat-dropped at the sight of the frightening Flying-type Pokémon. Adam sneered.

"Fearow," he said, "end that little Pancham with a nice Drill Peck."

Fearow squawked loudly and dove towards Pancham, its beak spinning at high speeds like a drill. The Playful Pokémon fired another Dark Pulse in self-defense, but its opponent easily dodged it and continued to swoop towards it relentlessly. Serena's eyes widened; she didn't want Pancham to suffer too, just like Braixen did.

**"PANCHAM!"** she screeched with all of her might.

Then, before she or Pancham knew it, an extremely large and powerful Flamethrower struck Fearow, defeating it easily.

"WHAT?!" Adam roared, his voice cracking again. "F-F-_Fearow_?..."

"Who did that?..." asked Serena in a surprised stutter, just as she felt a rising heat emanating on her lap.

Looking down, she saw that Braixen's eyes were wide open, and the younger Fox Pokémon's outline was engulfed in a bright, crimson aura of fire. With a rising growl, Braixen slowly stood up, the strange aura disintegrating the rubble that buried her lower body. Adam's eyes widened at her, and he took a step backward.

"No..." he moaned. "No, no, _no_..."

Braixen let out a powerful bark in response, causing Adam to yelp and fall over on the ground with a grunt. Another growl was heard, and Serena watched as Delphox stood up on its own two feet as well, having apparently been brought back to consciousness by Braixen's bark. Both Fox Pokémon stared down each other angrily and the only thing both Serena and Pancham could do was watch and wait for what would happen next. The tension between Braixen and Delphox was rising...

Delphox barked loudly at Braixen, and Braixen barked back aggressively. Then, to Serena and Pancham's surprise, Delphox grinned, seemingly in satisfaction.

"D-D-Del-Delphox," Adam stuttered, "d-do-don't just st-_stand_ there, you idiot! U-Us-Use M-My-Myst-Mystical-"

However, Delphox didn't need to be told what attack to use. It raised its wand and fired the Mystical Fire attack.

"BRAIXEN, LOOK OUT!" Serena screamed, while Pancham wailed in agreement.

However, after dodging the attack, Braixen, still engulfed in the hot fiery aura, maneuvered her way _underneath_ the Mystical Fire as it was still being fired. She ran up to Delphox at full speed and collided into it, mercilessly biting down on its stomach as she did so. Delphox roared out in pain as Braixen shoved it past Adam and into a nearby wall, where it tried to fire another Mystical Fire, but Braixen sent its twig-like wand flying away from it with the swipe of a paw.

"DELPHOX, FINISH HER, DAMN IT!" ordered Adam, though his voice was more desperate than angry. "WITH OR WITHOUT THE WAND!"

Delphox growled and fired a Flamethrower at Braixen's direction, but she dodged it. Then, she swiped at Delphox's face with her left paw, one of her claws piercing its left eye and giving it a long, noticeable cut across it. Next, she bit down on her opponent's neck hard, drawing out a cry from Delphox.

"YEAH, GO BRAIXEN!" Serena cheered, while Pancham danced in joy.

With an aggressive growl, Braixen shoved Delphox to the floor and held it in place with a foot on its chest. Badly weakened, it couldn't do a thing to resist now. It was half-blinded by the cut on its left eye, and it could still feel the sensation of Braixen's teeth digging into its tough neck. It knew it was at a dead end.

"DELPHOX, DO IT NOW!" Adam roared.

However, it was no use. Delphox merely growled softly at Braixen, apparently admitting its defeat and continue to lie on the ground, not resisting. Adam gasped, and an excited smile appeared on Serena's face when the realization hit her. Braixen did it. She _won_ against Delphox. _She_ won against Adam...

**"SERENA!"** a familiar voice shrieked.

Serena turned around and saw Hilbert, Clemont, Shauna, Misty, Max, Cilan, Cynthia, Tierno, Trevor, Jones, Paul, Trip, and the BW Agency mascots running up to her.

"Serena, you're alright!" Hilbert exclaimed in relief as he and the others ran up to her. "I was so worried about you!"

"You...You were?" replied Serena.

"Yeah..." Then, the president spotted Serena's Braixen, which was still engulfed in the fire-like aura. "Uhhh...your Braixen-"

"Whoa!" Cilan exclaimed as he approached Braixen. "Did Braixen take a lot of damage in the battle, Serena?"

"Yeah," the Performer said in response. "Why?"

"Because apparently, it knows Blaze!"

"Blaze?"

"Yes. Blaze is an Ability that activates when a Fire-type Pokémon is critically wounded! Once a Pokémon has Blaze, its power increases!"

"Blaze." Serena approached Braixen as the Fox Pokémon looked back at her, smiling triumphantly as it maintained her grip on Delphox. "So I guess that's where that power came from..." She then returned Braixen's smile with one of her own. "I guess you showed that Delphox who was the boss in the end, huh Braixen?"

Braixen's grin widened, and she barked happily at Serena.

"Well, thank goodness for that!" Clemont exclaimed. "We feared Adam-"

"Adam?" replied Serena. Her confident smile was still in place. "Oh, you don't have to worry about that. He's no longer a problem. Isn't that right, Adam?"

However, when the honey-haired Performer turned around, her eyes widened in shock. Adam was no longer at his spot, even though his Fearow was still lying on the ground unconscious and his Delphox under Braixen's captivity. She looked back at the others, all of whom understood what had just happened.

"He couldn't have gone far," Clemont said.

"What's near here, Clemont?" Misty asked.

"A set of elevators, but that's about it. The nearest exit is much farther from here."

* * *

**At the top of Prism Tower**

_**"He has to be going to the top of the tower. I defeated him... He's probably gonna..."**_

Adam couldn't believe it. He had been defeated. ..._Defeated_... By a little girl and her Braixen, nonetheless...

_"What did I do wrong? I HAD her..."_

The ringing of the elevator bell sounded as the doors slid open. Absentmindedly, the green-haired man stepped out into the topmost floor of Prism Tower, where a set of windows overlooked all of Lumiose City below. With a newfound burst of strength, the villain smashed one of the windows open with his elbow and crawled through it, not caring if a shard of leftover glass slashed his left arm in the process, leaving behind a deep cut that was bleeding profusely. Adam soon found himself standing outside, on the very top of the tower. Heavy torrents of rain poured down upon him, making the metallic surface slippery.

_**"It doesn't matter anymore. Serena, did you see Hilda with him?!"**_

_**"What're you talking about?"**_

_**"She's gone! Adam and his cronies must've taken her while we were fleeing the basement!"**_

"BOSS!" a familiar voice called, although Adam took no notice of it. "BOSS! OVER HERE!"

He didn't respond. A few minutes later, he felt a hand clutch his uninjured arm, and he glared at the person who was grabbing it.

**"WHAT, NICK?!"** he roared.

Nick chuckled nervously before replying, "We managed to get ourselves one of the BW Agency Presidents! The girl one! Sid is landing the chopper here as we speak!" He noticed the nonchalant look on his superior's face. "What's with the look, boss?! We can still get away! We can still have our payday-"

"Forget it," Adam cut off. "I'm done with the stupid ransom."

"But we're gonna get _so much_-"

"Shut the hell up, Nick."

"Come on, there's no need to be so-"

"So _what_, huh? So _what_?! Come on, finish your damn sentence, idiot!" Then, he raised an eyebrow, a thought suddenly occurring to him. "Why the hell are you idiots here, anyway? I thought you all died in the basement." He paused for a moment. "You fools could've helped me beat that little Serena..."

Now, Nick knew why Adam was so enraged, and he definitely did not want to answer that question. Hoping for some well-needed assistance, he nervously glanced at his right, where Sid had just landed his chopper and Floyd and Lloyd were loading the still-unconscious Hilda inside the aerial vehicle. They all were at a considerable distance from him and Adam, isolating them. Then, he looked back at Adam, who was staring him down with eyes that burned with rage.

The entire scene was illuminated by a bright flash of lightning...

"Did...Did that girl..._beat_ you-?"

Adam suddenly threw a Poké Ball, which unleashed his Shiny Aggron. "Aggron, Incinerate!"

Aggron roared and fired the attack straight at Nick, engulfing his entire body in red-hot flames. Adam watched as his own comrade let out a bloodcurdling scream, fell to the pavement, and rolled around wildly on the watery metal in an attempt to put the flames out. Unfortunately, they continued to aggressively burn away his flesh, growing stronger with every movement he made, refusing to be put out. With this, Nick's screams became even louder and more agonizing with his pain.

Adam's lips twitched into a sadistic grin as he imagined Serena being the one on fire...

"NICK!" Floyd shouted, having noticed his accomplice and the situation he was in. "NICK, **NICK**! STAY STILL, I'LL-"

However, Aggron stood in Floyd's path, blocking him away from Nick. Adam turned his head towards him, his grin still in place.

"Why, hello there, _Floyd_," he greeted.

* * *

**The Pokémon World Festival**

Ash grunted and groaned as he stumbled across the grounds of the Pokémon World Festival. He had managed to sneak out of the PWT Pokémon Center and make his way to Prism Tower, with no one noticing since they were preoccupied with saving the wounded and battling against what remained of the rampaging Electric-types. It had been an extremely daunting task for him, walking a few blocks to Prism Tower with an increasingly worse stomach injury. He knew he had to be bleeding out; his vision became worse and worse with each step he took. The rain made things worse for him; his wound stung every time a droplet hit it.

He wished he could've brought along Pikachu, but the girl suggested against it...

And he wound up listening to her... After all, Pikachu would've kept begging him to stay, and he knew he couldn't have that.

"Must...help..." was all the raven-haired Trainer could moan.

He didn't see anyone present on what remained of the festival grounds, so aside from the tremendous amount of pain he felt while getting there, Ash managed to get to the Prism Tower entrance. To his relief, the high-tech doors slid open, and the Trainer stumbled inside without any incident.

* * *

**At the top of Prism Tower**

Serena, Braixen, Pancham, Clemont, Hilbert, and the others stepped out of the elevator and on the topmost floor. The only one missing was Cynthia, who volunteered to guard Adam's discarded Delphox and Fearow while everyone else ventured out to the top of Prism Tower to retrieve him.

Shauna was the first to notice the broken-out window. "Look!" she cried, pointing at it. "Over there!"

Everyone approached it and noticed the blood streaked on one of the leftover shards. Serena and Hilbert then looked out to the rooftop and saw the trail of red drops.

"He's injured," Serena concluded.

"Aggron, Incinerate!" a voice suddenly ordered, followed by a fiery explosion and a scream that no one would ever forget.

"What was that?!" cried Trevor.

"It came from outside!" Clemont exclaimed. He looked down at Chespin. "Chespin!"

"Snivy!" Hilbert cried, looking down at the Grass-type BW Agency mascot.

"Use Vine Whip to clear out the glass!" both boys ordered.

Chespin and Snivy immediately nodded. Using their vine-like whips, they carefully plucked out any shards of glass that were still remaining on the windowpane. Once said windowpane was clear, the Trainers, plus the president and his butler, crawled through the space. Once everyone was through the hole and on the roof, they were greeted with a horrific sight: Nick flailing about, his whole body on fire, and a small pool of blood next to him, no doubt belonging to Adam.

"OH MY ARCEUS!" Jones exclaimed in horror.

"He _burned_ his own accomplice alive?!" Tierno cried in disgust. "Not cool, man!"

"Starmie, use Water Gun!" commanded Misty as she threw a Poké Ball. "Put out the fire on that guy!"

Starmie emerged from its Poké Ball and fired a stream of water at Nick, putting out the flames. Misty and Cilan then ran up to his side.

"Are you okay?!" Cilan exclaimed, trying to ignore the nauseating look of Nick's badly charred skin. "Speak!"

"H-He-He-Hel-Hel-" Nick stuttered.

"He's trying to tell us something!" cried Misty.

"Hel-Hel-Hel-Heli-Co-Cop-Cop-"

"Heli...cop..." Serena said, trying to deduce Nick's words. "Helicopter?"

Suddenly, the entire group heard the loud noise of whirring rotors. They all looked up and saw a Sinnoh Now news chopper flying alongside the rooftop.

* * *

**Vaniville Town**

_**"This is Rhonda for Sinnoh Now, continuing our live report in the air on the Lumiose City disaster."**_

Grace Yates sat quietly on the sofa, her attention completely absorbed by the television set. She had woken up that morning, expecting regular news coverage on the PWT that she kept hearing about for months. But then, that report was interrupted by incoming reports of Electric-type Pokémon rampaging throughout Lumiose City, destroying everything from left to right. It looked like it was going to be even worse than that Garchomp incident several months ago.

"What in the world is going on with all these Pokémon nowadays?..." she whispered to herself.

_**"It appears there has been quite a turn of events at the top of Prism Tower. As I speak, there is a standoff being engaged between the ones who are responsible for the disaster and a group of Trainers and their Pokémon. Considering how ruthless and unforgiving these suspects have demonstrated themselves to be, we at Sinnoh Now can only pray to Arceus for the Trainers' safe triumph over these wrongdoers."**_

Grace's eyes widened as the news camera focused on the aforementioned group of Trainers. She easily distinguished Serena from that small crowd.

"What in Arceus's name is Serena doing at the top of Prism Tower?!"

_**"Hold on, what's that? Focus the camera over there!"**_

The camera moved slightly and focused on what appeared to be another news chopper, belonging to Lumiose Press. However, Grace already knew that it was no news chopper: its exterior was crudely outfitted with a wide variety of military-grade weaponry, all barely conventional in the modern world. Her eyes widened even further in horror as the second helicopter's guns trained themselves on the group of Trainers seeking to challenge it...including Serena...

* * *

**The Pokémon World Festival**

A massive crowd gathered around the ruins of the festival, directly near the base of Prism Tower. Among them were Dawn, Johanna, Lucas, Zoey, Kenny, Ursula, Lyra, Khoury, Bianca, Melody, Macy, Anabel, Angie, Barry, Viola, Alain, Mairin, Norman, Ritchie, Harrison, Tyson, Nando, Jimmy, Marina, Vincent, Steven, Lisia, Wallace, and Courtney. Everyone was staring up at the top of the tower, ignoring the massive downpour and the flashing of lightning.

From their positions, they could all easily see the modified Lumiose Press helicopter aim its weaponry.

* * *

**At the top of Prism Tower**

At the same time, Serena and the others watched as the modified chopper aimed its machine guns at them. They could barely identify Adam sitting on the pilot seat. Just then, the villain's voice echoed through the sky, and the group deduced he was using some sort of outfitted loudspeaker.

_**"SAY YOUR PRAYERS, LITTLE SERENA!"**_

The machine guns sprayed bullets across the Prism Tower rooftop, forcing everyone to jump out of the way of the gunfire. Misty and Cilan immediately began pulling Nick away from danger, while Jones tried unsuccessfully to get Hilbert back inside the tower. After dodging several bullets, Serena pointed at the chopper.

"BRAIXEN, USE HIDDEN POWER!" she commanded. The Fox Pokémon fired the attack, but Adam managed to maneuver the chopper away from it.

From inside the chopper, Adam growled, "BAH! CURSE YOU, LITTLE SERENA!"

Next to him, seated in the copilot's seat, was Sid, who looked extremely worried and distressed. Sitting at the back were Floyd, Lloyd, the still-unconscious Hilda, and Sid's Shiny Greninja and Exploud. Just like Sid, they were all frightened by Adam's loss control...well, with the obvious exception of the ever-sadistic Lloyd.

"ADAM, WHAT'RE YOU _DOING_?!" Sid shouted.

"FINISHING THE JOB, THAT'S WHAT!" roared Adam in response as he fired the machine guns again. "DIIIEEE!"

Meanwhile, no one noticed Hilda being jolted awake by the hammering noise of rapid gunfire. Looking around, she gasped softly upon noticing the villains surrounding her. Then, she watched in shock as Hilbert, the BW Agency mascots, and all of her newfound acquaintances were caught up in Adam's rage.

Back on the rooftop, Serena watched as the chopper fired its guns again. She accidentally separated herself from Braixen in the process of trying to avoid them. While trying to dodge the bullets as they kept on coming and coming, she wound up running into the set of windows, with nowhere else to go.

She was trapped...

"SERENA, WATCH OUT!" a familiar voice roared.

Before Serena knew it, some unknown force roughly pushed her to the ground, allowing her to avoid the incoming hail of bullets. Looking up at her savior, her cheeks turned pink when she stared up at a familiar pair of auburn eyes. Ash grinned at her as the bullets shattered the windows above them, showering them in glass.

"Ash?..." she asked.

"Sorry I'm a bit late, Serena..." he replied between exhausted pants. "Did you miss me?"

"Ash..." Then, Serena realized the gunfire had stopped. The two Trainers stood up, with the honey-haired girl helping her crush up.

_**"WELL, ISN'T THAT CUTE?!"**_ Adam's voice hollered. _**"UNFORTUNATELY, I'LL HAVE TO CUT THE HONEYMOON **_**SHORT_! GGGGGRRRRRAAAAAHHHHH!"_**

The two watched as the chopper fired a single missile from its launcher. Ash gasped in shock, looked at Serena and back to the missile, and, without a second thought about what would happen next, instinctively pushed his friend away from the missile's path. Fortunately for him, Adam's aiming skill was horribly poor, and the missile instead hit a portion of the roof in front of Ash without catching anyone in its fiery explosion. Unfortunately for him, however, the force still knocked him backward.

Over the ledge of the roof.

**"ASH!"** everyone screamed as the raven-haired Trainer managed to hold onto the ledge with his left hand.

"AGH!" Ash screamed, feeling the skin of his stomach wound being stretched. "AAAGGGHHH!"

"Don't worry, Ash!" shouted Serena as she ran up to the ledge. "I'll get you! Just hold on!"

"I...can't...hold on...much longer! I'm...SLIPPING!"

"JUST HOLD ON, ASH!"

To her relief, the Performer reached the ledge just in time. However, before she could grab Ash's hand, it abruptly slipped from the ledge, and she watched, paralyzed in fear as her good friend...her _crush_...plummeted to his doom, away from her sight. She could hear his screams echoing through the air, fading away eerily...

"OH MY ARCEUS!" Misty shrieked. "ARCEUS, NO!"

"OH NO, ASH!" shouted Cilan. **"ASH!"**

"ASH, NO!" Hilbert and Max screamed in distress.

However, Serena was the only one who remained silent. She could only watch as Ash's disappearing form grew smaller and smaller, until it was only a dot. Then...

"NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" she screeched out to the heavens. **"****ASH!"**

* * *

_**"Tell me, Ash, what do you wanna grow up to be?"**_

_**"Well, I wanna grow up to be a Pokémon Master, Mom!"**_

Ash screamed as he continued to plunge towards his impending death. As he did, his mind continued to repeat those words, over and over again, like a broken record player. He could feel the rush of air against his skin, taste the droplets of water straying into his mouth, hear the horrified screams of people watching down below. He could even sense the ground below, ready to greet him and take his life...just when he was so close, yet so far from accomplishing his dream...

He would never become a Pokémon Master, just like he always hoped...

_"If I die,"_ he thought, _"then my dream's over... I can't let that happen...not after all I've been through...all I've accomplished to reach this point... I can't die now... I have to live...survive... There has to be more that I need to do!"_ He closed his eyes. _"My life can't just end like this! I have to live, just like _she _lived! I HAVE TO!"_

Just as he though those last three words, he felt something collide into him, catching him in its arms. He wanted to open his eyes, but they were already bombarded with bright golden light just from being closed. The only thing he knew about his unknown savior was that it had some strange ability to fly...

He could hear everyone on the ground cheering, as if something miraculous happened...

Finally, Ash felt his savior land smoothly on the ground, without any incident. The light disappeared, allowing the raven-haired Trainer to open his eyes. As soon as he did, he was being surrounded by many of his friends, rivals, and other acquaintances. It was still raining hard. He then looked behind him, to identify his savior as...

"Mega Blaziken?" he asked in wonder.

The Mega-Evolved Blaziken nodded at it, replying, "Blaze."

"_You_ saved me?"

"Blaze blaze."

**"ASH!"**

Ash looked at his side and realized the crowd was parting. Then, he watched as several people made their way through this widening gap. He quickly recognized these particular people as Serena, Hilbert, Clemont, Shauna, Misty, Max, Cilan, Tierno, Trevor, Jones, Paul, Trip, and the BW Agency mascots, all of whom looked relieved.

"ASH, YOU'RE OKAY!" Serena screamed as she embraced Ash in a tight hug. "You're okay... Oh, thank _goodness_ you're okay..."

"You had us SO worried, Ash!" exclaimed Clemont angrily, although he was smiling with happiness.

"Ya got that right, man!" Tierno replied as he approached Ash and patted him in the back, a little too roughly for his liking. "What in the world were ya thinkin'?!"

"Well, I'm alive..." Ash said, looking down at the ground to stare at his feet. At first, he didn't have the slightest clue on how in the world he was able to survive all of that despite his chances. But then, once he came to terms with his survival, he continued, "Yeah, I'm alive! I'm ALIVE!"

"And we're glad you're alive, Ash," Cilan replied. "Otherwise, who knows how this predicament would've turned out..."

Ash's eyes widened as he remembered. "Oh yeah, that's right! Did you guys get Adam?!"

However, he was met with a somberly silent response. His eyes widened in realization.

* * *

**In the skies of Lumiose City**

Adam, Floyd, Lloyd, and Sid surveyed the entire scene below, displaying mixed reactions to the outcome. Sid was completely nonchalant about the whole thing, being instead rather impatient that his cousin did not seize the opportunity of the public distraction to make an easy getaway. Lloyd was thoroughly disappointed with Ash's survival, being the sadistic psychopath he was. Floyd was relieved that there wasn't any bloodshed this time, but made sure he hid it well from his comrades.

As for Adam, he was completely beside himself.

"Why is she still smiling?!" he roared. "Why is she still SMILING?! I was gonna make her cry with her white knight's death, but he still SURVIVES! AND SHE'S-!"

"Calm DOWN, Adam!" Sid snapped furiously. "This is no time to be focused on some GIRL! We've got one of the targets! Let's just take what we have and-"

"NO! WE'RE **NOT** GETTING AWAY! NOT UNTIL I MAKE THAT LITTLE SERENA **SUFFER**!"

"YOU'VE GONE **MAD**, ADAM! I WILL **NOT** LET YOU LAND US ALL IN **JAIL**, OR WORSE!"

**"TOO BAD! AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!"**

The green-haired man immediately forced the helicopter into a rapid nosedive, guiding it towards the entire crowd gathered below.

"AGH!" Hilda screamed, attracting the attention of her captors. "WHAT'RE YOU **DOING**!"

"Ooh, look who's _awake_..." Lloyd replied, snickering sadistically.

**"ADAM!"** roared Floyd. **"WHAT'RE YOU _DOING_?!"**

**"GETTING THAT LITTLE SERENA, THAT'S WHAT!"** Then, Adam giggled, his eyelid twitching. "And this time...there'll be NO SURVIVORS! NO ONE GETS OUT!"

As the chopper continued to near the ground and its targets, but without making an effort to stop, Sid realized what Adam was doing.

"You...You FOOL!" he screamed desperately.

Adam merely burst out into insane laughter.

* * *

**The Pokémon World Festival**

"What's that?!" Melody cried, pointing at the sky.

Everyone followed the direction of her finger and spotted the news chopper headed towards them. Serena's eyes widened as she recognized Adam in the pilot's seat.

"It's Adam!" she screamed. "He's gonna open fire upon us again! Everyone take cover!"

"No, he's not doing that," Cilan replied. "He's just heading..." His eyes widened in horror. "He's headed straight for us! He's gonna take us all out in a murder-suicide!"

"EVERYONE, RUN!"

Upon hearing this command, the entire crowd instantly broke apart and scattered like a group of ants. Everyone was screaming loudly in fear as they desperately ran in multiple directions. The news helicopter continued to rapidly fly towards the ground in high speeds, Adam cackling maniacally from his seat. He was trying his best to guide the falling helicopter towards Serena, who was running with Ash, Clemont, Hilbert, Jones, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor.

"HE'S HEADED STRAIGHT FOR **US**!" Trevor cried.

"No, he's headed for _me_," replied Serena. "He wants _me_..."

Suddenly, as she was dashing through a destroyed tent with her friends, she felt her foot becoming caught in something. Before she could have a chance to react, the Performer fell to the ground. Looking at her foot, she realized it was caught in the tattered remains of the tent's fabric. Serena tried to get it out, but it was tangled in the fabric. Looking up fearfully, she saw that Adam noticed her dilemma and took the chance to dive the helicopter towards her.

"HELP ME!" she screamed.

**"SERENA!"** Ash cried as he ran back to her and tried to get her foot out, but he suddenly screamed out when a piece of wood sticking out of the ground conveniently jabbed at his abdomen injury, amplifying the pain. It caused him to fall beside him, and clutch the wound as he felt his skin throb in pain.

"ASH!" Serena grabbed her crush's hand. "ASH, YOU HAVE TO RUN!"

"NO! I'M NOT LEAVING YOU BEHIND!"

The whirring of the rotors grew louder and louder. Both Trainers looked up and saw the chopper headed straight for them. There was no getting away now.

**"ASH, I LOVE YOU!"** Serena screeched at the top of her lungs.

Suddenly, the helicopter began to slow down. At first, Ash and Serena were wondering if Adam was taunting them. However, their assumptions were dis-proven when the chopper continued to slow down to an unnatural midair halt, as if time was being slowed down. Adam and his cronies were looking around inside, wondering what was causing their aerial vehicle to abruptly slow down in the air. Then, everyone noticed the blue aura glowing around the helicopter's outline, just as it stopped.

"Who-?" Ash began.

"You wanna get to her," a voice shouted, "you gotta go through me first!"

Ash and Serena turned to their right and saw a brown-haired woman with blue eyes and wearing a white dress, who was standing between two undamaged stands. A Gardevoir was standing beside her, its eyes glowing the same blue as the aura outlining the chopper. The two Trainers gasped upon recognizing this woman.

"Diantha?!" they exclaimed.

"Hey, Ash, Serena," replied the Kalos Champion, smiling. "Sorry I'm late to this party."

"**NO!**" roared Adam from inside the chopper. "NO, I **MUST** GET MY REVENGE! I MUST **DESTROY** THAT LITTLE SERENA! I **MUST!**" The green-haired man then tried to force his door open, but it was held tightly shut by Gardevoir's Psychic. "NO, NO, **NO**! LET ME THE HELL OUT, WOMAN! LET ME **OUT!**"

"I think not. You are staying right there." She then stared at Floyd, Lloyd, Sid, and Sid's Greninja and Exploud, narrowing her eyes at the villainous grip. "You ALL are. You seriously caused all of this chaos, just to kidnap two kids, get away, and demand a large ransom? With the belief that you would get away with it? With no regard for all of the innocent lives that were endangered by your actions? You're _cowards_, all of you. You and your kind make me SICK."

"And YOU make me sick, BITCH!" Adam growled. "YOU LET ME OUT **NOW**!"

Diantha ignored him and noticed Hilda sitting in the back with Floyd and Lloyd. "Don't worry, Ms. White, we'll get you out. Gardevoir, get her out of there!"

Gardevoir nodded and placed a separate Psychic on Hilda, carrying the president out of the chopper. Once she was safely placed on the ground, the brown-haired girl dashed away from the chopper and hid behind Ash and Serena, no doubt traumatized by her entire ordeal. Sid let out an outraged roar from this development.

"ARCEUS-DAMN IT, ADAM!" he snapped. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU AND YOUR **STUPID** OBSESSION WITH A **POKEMON PERFORMER**! NOW WE'RE GOING TO JAIL BECAUSE OF YOU! WE COULD'VE MADE AN EASY GETAWAY, BUT **NOOOOOOO**, YOU DECIDED TO TRY AND KILL ALL OF US JUST TO GET AT THIS GIRL!"

**"YOU SHUT UP, SID!"** screeched Adam, his eyelid twitching. "LITTLE SERENA NEEDED TO PAY!"

"NO, **YOU** SHUT UP!"

"NO, YOU!"

"YOU!"

**"YOU!"**

Lloyd sweat-dropped as Adam and Sid continued arguing, while Floyd sighed sadly. He watched as Gym Leaders, other Champions, Top Coordinators, and many other powerful Trainers surrounded the suspended chopper, their Pokémon keeping a secure watch on it. Greninja and Exploud snarled angrily in defeat, knowing that there was no way they could battle all of those Pokémon and emerge victorious. Floyd thought the exact same thing.

"I guess it's all over..." he moaned.

The rainfall began to clear, and the storm-clouds were parting. The storm was over...

* * *

**In the skies of Lumiose City**

No one noticed the Braviary surveying the scene from the safety of the air. Realizing that its Trainer and his cronies were defeated, the Valiant Pokémon flew away.

* * *

_"Seems like anyone who'd be at **the top of the tower** would be on top of the world. That kind of position would give anyone a false sense of power and security..."_

–Author unknown, referring to the Prism Tower

* * *

**Next time on "Judgment's Fall"**

**Sid:** Aaaaannnnnddddd...there goes our payday.

**Cilan:** Rejoice, everyone! We're all heroes!

**Ash:** Uh, did you say something to me?

**Grace:** I should've known it'd be him who was behind all of this...

**Dawn:** You're stupid for doing that, you know that?!

**Hilda:** You know, you're actually pretty cute...

**Unknown:** You did well, Ash. You did very well.

**Chapter 13: Final Curtain**

* * *

"Well, _that_ was fun," Paul said as he and Trip sat down on a nearby bench. The two were watching everyone else as they closed in on Adam and his cronies.

"You've got that right," replied Trip. "Never had a fun battle like this in my journey."

"So, how many Electric Pokémon did you take down? I hope it's an impressive number."

Trip's chest swelled in pride. "I took down a perfect 100."

"100." Paul nodded his head in approval. "Not bad. Not bad for a rookie Trainer like yourself."

"Why, thank you. How about you? I don't think a guy like you could even reach my number, but I do hope you were close to getting there."

Paul smirked. "101."

...

Trip sneaked a photo of Paul with his nifty camera. "This isn't over."

* * *

**A/N:** And this climactic showdown is over! ...Or is it?... For one thing, we do know it'll NEVER be over for Paul and Trip. XD

Also, we're reaching the conclusion of Act I! Wonder how THAT will go...

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

**thor94:** Well, I am not sure if this had Ash be a badass in your eyes (I kinda doubt it), but I hope this chapter entertained you nonetheless. Anyway, Ash will be able to master Mega Evolution with only one Pokémon, but not very soon. Also, I will not say what Pokémon it will be until it's time. And Jesus Christ, please improve your spelling and grammar! For goodness' sake, I can't tell what you're trying to say in your review until I look closely enough! You want me to respond to you, right?

**xxxSMDxxx:** Yes, he is gonna be frustrated. As you can see, he's so frustrated he nearly got killed trying to get back in!

**ChE clarinetist:** It's okay. What you provided me was specific enough for me. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! :D

**SakuraNinjaress:** Adam's such a bastard, isn't he? At least he got shown up by Serena and Braixen!

**edCOM02:**

1) Yes, Adam's so sadistic and paranoid. As you can see, it's cost him most of his sanity. As if he really didn't deserve it, though.

2) Looks like it's gonna be a competitive alliance between Paul and Trip at best. XD

3) Indeed, Ash did do something reckless. Will he ever learn? Probably not.

**Gyga (guest reviewer):** Knowing Adam and his gang, nothing will EVER be lighthearted when they're around. Hopefully this chapter entertained!

**Ejennings167:** Glad to hear that! :D

**ajani's apprentice:**

1) YEP! :D They'll have major roles later on, so don't worry about them being supporting characters at best. And yes, all stops are being pulled! None left un-turned!

2) Between her and Ash or her and some other character? Either way, no with Ash, but I will think about the latter option.

3) Oh, you'll see...

4) Mm-hm. XD

5) Of course! She's developing rapidly these past several episodes of the saga! Gotta reflect that with the appearance of Adam and his cronies!

**PersonWhoReads13:** Hopefully this chapter entertained you! I'm so glad to hear you're enjoying this story. :D

**Guest reviewer:** Ooh, I am SO glad to hear you're loving this! :D As for your suggestion, I'm afraid I cannot do it. I've got a couple of other stories to deal with, plus an upcoming project or two I'm working on. You can make an account and publish the story yourself if you want. I'll give you pointers if you need it.

**justareadersofar:** Oh, you have seen NOTHING yet for Ash. As for Serena, she has been coming out of her shell more often in the anime, so I would not say it's out of character for her. And believe me, if you think this is the big showdown, just wait till you see what's in store in the next three acts!

**Hero Time 18:** Yeah...no...

**jake97531:** I'm so glad to hear that! Yeah, most of the AmourShipping stories I've read are cheesy and chock-full of romance. Not that I'm challenging the ones that are considered among the best AmourShipping fics; I love them myself! But I'm just taking a slower approach to it.

**EquinoxWolf:**

1) Ooh, goodie! I didn't split the chapter into two parts, though, because it would have kicked up the chapter count by a bit more and I didn't want to deal with more than what I already have. I just split the prologue in two according to which parts didn't have Ash and the gang in it.

2) BLOCKED. Nah, just kidding! XD

3) Consider your fears assuaged. :D

**platinumguest (guest reviewer):** Oh no, she's not giving herself up to Adam. No way she would just do that. She has gotta fight for her friends, and her crush too! And you will see if Floyd truly changed or not.

**TheAwesomeOne12 (guest reviewer):** I'm afraid I'm gonna have to keep that hush-hush for the time being.

Holy crud, this is the most reviews this story got from just one chapter! I do sincerely hope I see more of these! I would love to know what people think of this so far!

Well, hope you enjoyed this action-packed chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	15. Final Curtain

**The Pokémon World Festival  
Near the Prism Tower**

Clemont, Hilbert, and all of Ash's friends, rivals, and acquaintances ran up to the crowd surrounding Adam's paralyzed chopper. They all gasped upon spotting...

"Diantha!" Clemont exclaimed, catching the Kalos Champion's attention. "W-Wh-What're _you_ doing here?!"

"Oh, hello Clemont," replied Diantha, giving the inventor a friendly smile. "I just thought I'd step in, that's all."

"I-I never saw you during all of the PWT festivities! Where were you?!"

"Sorry, I was shooting a movie in Laverre City. I couldn't get it out of the way, so I had to miss out for the first part of all the pre-PWT celebrations." She then glanced at Adam and his cronies, all of whom stared at her in apprehension. "But...it looks like Gardevoir and I arrived _just_ in time, am I right?"

Gardevoir nodded simply. Seeing this, Adam growled savagely.

It didn't take long for Officer Jenny and her forces to arrive at the scene of the Psychic-suspended helicopter. Once they did, Diantha had her Gardevoir remove Adam, Floyd, Lloyd, Sid, and their Pokémon, one by one, by lifting them right out from the modified aerial vehicle. Once all of them were back on the ground, Jenny slapped handcuffs on them, right after Gardevoir was ordered to release her Psychic grip on them. Adam was the last of the crooks to be pulled out; just as expected, he had tried to put up a mad fight, although he could do barely little other than rant and espouse his undying, unconditional hatred of Serena and Braixen.

"**GAH!** **NO!** I **HATE** YA, LITTLE SERENA!" he roared. Had the Psychic's grip on him been even a little less tight, spit would have been flying out of his mouth. "I **HATE** YA AND YA STUPID LITTLE GUTS! YOU AND YOUR STUPID LITTLE BRAIXEN! YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LAST OF ME! I **WILL** BE BACK! YOU BOTH ARE GONNA DIE! DIE, DIE, DIE, DIE, **DIE! AHAHAHAHAHAHA! _AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!_**"

Ash, Serena, and all of the others watched in shock as Adam's nearly-nonsensical ranting then devolved into a burst of insane laughter. Floyd, Sid, and even the ever-sadistic Lloyd sweat-dropped at their leader's complete loss of sanity. From the bottom of her heart, Serena feared what exactly would've happened had Adam gotten the upper hand against her in their battle... Looking at his state, she was _extremely_ relieved to have finally defeated him and close a dark chapter in her life.

"Aaaaannnnnddddd...there goes our payday," Sid moaned in the midst of Adam's cackling.

"Yeah, don't let this one go just yet, Diantha," Jenny said, looking at the Kalos Champion. "It's obvious we're gonna need some _permanent_ restraints for him."

"You got it," replied Diantha, nodding at the head police officer. Her Gardevoir nodded as well and abruptly tightened its Psychic on Adam, cutting off his cackling.

**"YOWCH!"** the green-haired man roared. "OW, OW, **OW**! ARCEUS-DAMN IT, THAT **HURTS**!"

"Yeah, well _now_ you know how _I_ felt back at that forest!" Serena snapped. "How _Bonnie_ felt!" Realizing Bonnie wasn't at the scene to witness this, she then stuck her tongue out at Adam and gave the villain a stink-eye. "Bonnie sends you her regards, you meanie! Guess who wins this battle now?!"

**"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"** shrieked Adam, his mental state further caving in from Serena's taunt. "NO, NO, **NO!** LET ME GO! I **MUST** HAVE MY REVENGE!"

Seconds later, two additional police officers arrived at the scene with a stretcher. Gardevoir roughly placed Adam on the stretcher and allowed the officers to strap him tightly onto it. Once Jenny secured the last strap, Gardevoir released her Psychic powers, leaving Adam to thrash wildly on the stretcher like a Magikarp out of water.

"GAH!" he continued. "THIS ISN'T OVER, LITTLE SERENA! **THIS ISN'T OVER!**"

However, Serena could only smirk triumphantly. She and the others then watched as Adam and his accomplices were rounded up by Jenny and her fellow officers, and led to a nearby armored police van. Upon reaching it, two officers opened up the rear doors, while Jenny stared the villains down with an intimidating eye.

"You are all under arrest for Pokémon cruelty, reckless endangerment, attempted murder, attempted kidnapping, and intentionally damaging and destroying property, among no doubt other crimes," she announced sternly, not hesitating to hide the disgusted tone of her voice. "You thought you could get away with this, didn't you?"

"Yes," Sid growled. Then, he stared at Ash, Serena, and their friends and allies. "And we would've gotten away too, if it weren't for those m-"

"Hush, man!" exclaimed Floyd. "We don't want a copyright strike on our hands as well!"

Everyone began cheering as the four men and three Pokémon were forced inside the police van. Before the officers closed the rear doors on him, Adam took one last glare at Serena and saw she was still smirking at him. His eyes widened in horror as he finally realized not only his archenemy's happiness and triumph, but her true strength that led to his defeat. He was about to let out a bloodcurdling roar of utmost fury, but it was cut off the moment the officers slammed the doors shut.

Serena's smile widened as the van began to drive away through the parted crowd, taking Adam away from her once and for all.

"AND GOOD RIDDANCE!" she yelled after the retreating van.

Meanwhile, Misty approached Jenny. "Excuse me, Officer Jenny?" she asked. "What about the other guy, the one burnt by that Adam guy at the top of Prism Tower?"

"Oh yeah, him," replied the head officer. "He's in critical condition and is being airlifted to the PWT Pokémon Center as we speak. He's undergoing intensive treatment right now, and I don't really know if he's gonna make it." She shook her head as she looked after the disappearing van. "You know, I've never seen anything like it."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, I've seen Pokémon thefts, stickup robberies, all the usual stuff. I...I've never seen a crime with this kind of magnitude. One where so many people got hurt like this." She glanced at Misty, as well as all of the others. "I really would like to thank you all for putting a premature end to this crisis before it got any worse. I can't imagine what would've happened if no one fought back. We would've had more casualties, maybe even fatalities. Words cannot begin to describe my relief."

"No problem, Officer Jenny!" Ash exclaimed. "There's no way we'd let all these people get endangered like that for no reason!"

"You've got that right, Ash!" said Trevor.

Jenny smiled and bowed slightly. "Lumiose City owes its thanks to all of you as much as I do." Then, her watch began beeping, surprising her. "Oh, excuse me! I have to report to the station immediately." The blue-haired woman ran to her motorcycle and mounted it. "Once again, I give you all my thanks!"

Everyone waved at the police officer as she rode away from the ruins of the Pokémon World Festival. As soon as Jenny left, Cilan stretched out his arms dramatically.

"Rejoice, everyone!" he announced. "We're all heroes!"

The entire crowd of heroes and allies alike began cheering once again and celebrating their triumphant victory. Gym Leaders and other important public celebrities, all once unfamiliar with one another, began interacting like longtime friends. Friends and mutual acquaintances got back together and celebrated in pure, positive spirits. League Champions such as Steven and Alder congratulated each other for their respective successes in handling the nasty situation. And most of all, Ash's friends and allies celebrated happily and with the most energy and optimism, while Tepig, Snivy, and Oshawott fired their attacks into the air as a sign of victory.

As everyone else celebrated, Serena turned towards Ash. "Hey, Ash?" she asked.

Ash turned his head towards his friend. "Yeah, Serena?" he replied.

Serena hesitated as she desperately tried to find the right words to say. She still remembered how terrified she was to see Ash plummeting to his doom just moments ago, and how immensely relieved she was to see the mysterious Mega Blaziken, the same one who saved Ash from a fall down Prism Tower just like this one, the one who rescued them and Professor Sycamore from Team Rocket, save him once again. Words couldn't describe the kind of euphoric relief she felt...

Then, she remembered what she proclaimed as Adam tried to take her and Ash in a mad bid for murder-suicide...

"Did..." she began. "D-Did you hear what I said?..."

"Wh-What?..." Ash replied, his voice suddenly trailing off.

She repeated, more firmly this time, "Did you hear what I said to you? When Adam was trying to crash that chopper into us?"

"I... Why can't...I see you?..."

"Huh?"

At first, Serena was confused by Ash's question. Then, a dark color caught her attention. Looking down, she gasped upon seeing her crush's lower half of his body.

It was completely drenched in blood, and he was sitting in a pool of it.

**"ASH!"** she screamed as the raven-haired Trainer collapsed onto the pool of blood. **"ASH, NO!"**

* * *

**Chapter 13: Final Curtain**

* * *

**The PWT Pokémon Center  
Lumiose City  
Sometime later**

_**"ASH! ASH, NO!"**_

Ash groaned softly, his eyelids fluttering open. He could hear familiar sounds of voices shouting, wheels squealing loudly, and curtains being abruptly drawn. The first thing the black-haired Trainer saw was Pikachu, who was lying on his stomach on a table at his bedside, badly struggling to keep his exhausted eyes open. As soon as his eyes were wide open, Pikachu took notice of this, being stirred out of his semiconscious state, and a relieved smile appeared on the Mouse Pokémon's face.

"PIKAPI!" he cried happily.

"Pi..._Pikachu_?..." replied Ash, his voice hoarse.

"Pikapi, pika-chu!" The Mouse Pokémon hopped onto his good friend's bed and hugged his face, nuzzling his cheek against Ash's. "Chaaaaa!"

"Pikachu..." At first, Ash was surprised to see his partner Pokémon. However, that vanished as soon as it came, and he smiled widely. "It's good to see you again..."

"Ash!" a familiar voice cried. "Ash, you're awake!"

Ash watched as several people crowded around his bedside, all of them wearing expressions of relief and happiness for their recovered friend. These people consisted of Hilbert, Hilda, Clemont, Bonnie, Misty, Brock, Melody, Macy, May, Max, Anabel, Dawn, Angie, Cilan, Bianca, Calem, Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, and Serena, who was no doubt the most relieved out of all the others. As soon as he recognized his friends, he gave a soft but emotional, meaningful smile.

"Hey, guys..." he greeted. "It's great to see you all here..."

"Hey yourself, Ash," May replied.

Ash chuckled once before looking around, examining his surroundings. He realized that he was back in the PWT Pokémon Center. Then, he looked back at his friends.

"What...What _happened_?..." he asked.

"All of the Electric Pokémon were subdued and calmed down," replied Anabel. "They've now been released back into the wild, where they belonged."

"And Adam and his friends?..."

"All in jail where _they_ belong," Calem said in response. "I managed to find five more people who helped them in their scheme. Four who shipped the Electric Pokémon into Lumiose City and set them loose when given the order, and a fifth person who captured them and made them aggressive. He is...or _was_ an employee of the Kalos Power Plant. He rewired the plant's antennae and used it to send out waves that disturbed the Pokémon and turned them aggressive."

"That sounds a lot like what Team Rocket did a few weeks ago," Serena said.

"Oh yeah, I remember that!" added Bonnie, snapping her fingers in realization. "Those meanies! They're so mean, they even rip off the ideas of other meanies!"

"It's good to hear the Pokémon are doing well again," Ash remarked. He then sat up, only to feel no pain in his stomach. "Wh-What happened to _me_?"

"You were taken here to the Pokémon Center to be treated," said Serena. "You lost _a lot_ of blood."

"Yeah," Shauna added. "Nurse Joy just said she was surprised you managed to pull off all of that despite your injury..."

Ash chuckled softly. "Well, I _did_ have all of my friends on my mind while I was at it. That was all I needed to get the energy I needed to keep going on."

"Idiot," Misty snapped bitterly, though Ash could see the hint of a smile on her face. "You scared us doing all of that, ya know?!"

"Well, you know me better than anyone else, Misty. Of course I had to do something like that. I mean, I couldn't stand by while all of my friends are in danger." Then, his auburn eyes widened as he remembered something. "What happened to Mega Blaziken? I forgot to thank it for saving my life back there, and I-"

"As soon as it took you here," interrupted Tierno, "it leaped away, man."

"Yeah," Trevor added, "as if someone was calling it."

"Probably its Trainer."

"Its Trainer?" everyone chorused, with the exceptions of Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie.

"Yeah. That Mega Blaziken has a Trainer, someone who's dressed up as a Mega Blaziken and calling himself Blaziken Mask."

"You have any idea who Blaziken Mask is, Ash?" May asked quizzically.

"I've got no idea, but judging from what he's done to protect me, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie, I can tell he's a good guy. And for that, I thank him."

* * *

**M Electronics  
****Autumnal Avenue**

As he was getting out of his Mega Blaziken-themed attire, Meyer suddenly sneezed, startling his nearby Ampharos.

"Whoa, what a big sneeze!" he exclaimed. "Oh, the things that happen when I'm secretly a protector..."

* * *

**The PWT Pokémon Center**

"So," Ash said, "how long has it been since I passed out?"

"Three days," replied Hilbert.

Ash's eyes widened in shock. "What?! Three _days_?! That's how long I was out?!"

"Well, Nurse Joy had to keep you asleep for the treatment," Brock said. "You received _a lot_ of it. I mean, you really _did_ lose a lot of blood. You formed a pool of it-"

"EWWWWW!" Bonnie exclaimed, sticking her tongue out as she shivered. "THAT'S SO **GROSS**!"

"DEDENNE!" chirped Dedenne, equally disgusted by the graphic explanation.

"Hey, Brock," May piped, looking innocent, but the tone of her voice sent chills down Brock's spine, "would you mind keeping this conversation G-rated?..."

Brock replied, alarmed by his friend's tone, "Yeah, that's right. Sorry, May."

"Anyway," Macy said, turning back to Ash and smiling at him, "it's great to see you're alright, Ash. I was so worried about you. I thought you were gonna...gonna..."

"Die?" completed Ash, causing Macy to blush. "Ah, don't worry, Macy. I've been in sticky situations before. I've gotten myself hurt numerous times. I'll live for sure."

"But you scared me! You may not be concerned for your own well-being, but what about _me_? D'you have any idea what your death would do to me?!"

"Hey, hey, don't act like you're the only one who cares for Ash!" snapped Angie. Then, she looked at Ash, her eyes shimmering with tears. "But...But she's right, Ash. You're always helping others without any regard for what it would do to you, even if it risks your life, and that's so kind of you to do that for us. But I care about you! Macy cares about you! We ALL do! And if you die on us, ESPECIALLY if you're doing one of the things you do best, then how do you we'll react?!"

Ash's eyes widened once again. "I...I'm sorry..." he replied. "I'm sorry I scared you." He scanned his friends as they looked on in concern. "All of you... I know I have done something very risky, one that could've resulted in my death. I know you guys had everything under control. But...I wanted to help..."

Suddenly, the raven-haired Trainer heard someone mumbling. He glanced at Calem, who appeared to have just rolled his eyes. He was frowning bitterly.

"Uh, did you say something to me?" Ash asked. "Calem?"

"Oh yeah, I did," replied Calem in a mock-friendly tone.

"What'd you say to me, then?"

"Oh, I was just talking about how terribly flawed you are."

Ash's eyes widened yet again, and he growled out, "WHAT?!"

"Calem, please!" Serena cried, looking at her fellow Vaniville Town native. "Nurse Joy said not to-"

"How in the world is helping out people _flawed_?!" Ash continued, cutting off Serena.

"Well," Calem replied, shrugging, "helping out people is definitely not a sin. Anyone who thinks it is has a couple of wires loose in their heads. But...if you willingly risk your life to help others in need, knowing that you may die in the process, what kind of help would that serve, other than maybe perhaps an innocent casualty?"

"It's called putting innocent people ahead of yourself, Calem!"

"Well, I call it neglecting your self-worth in favor of the worth of people you barely know."

Ash's eyes narrowed. "You know, back at the dinner, you were going on about how selfish I was and how I ignored the feelings of people around me. And now, you're railing against me for not being concerned about _myself_? Do you have ANY idea how _contradictory_ you're being right now, Calem?!"

"Yes, I understand that. But the problem doesn't lie with how I am constructing my arguments."

"Yes, it does!"

"Oh, but you didn't let me finish. Ash, it seems to me that you've got two ideals that are conflicting with one another."

"Conflicting?" Ash couldn't believe what he was hearing from Calem. "What do you mean 'conflicting'? My ideals are in perfect sync with one another-"

"You want to become a Pokémon Master," Calem interrupted suddenly. "However, you fail every time you try to conquer a regional League. And then, you move onto a new region and a new League without making much, if not _any_, effort to look back on your mistakes, what exactly you did wrong. Also, you simply flat-out ignore any other interesting opportunities that come across your way, and in addition, you don't consider the feelings of other people. All you care about is achieving your dream to become a Pokémon Master, without taking the time to address any other possible interests or the emotions of others.

"And _then_, you seek to help other innocent people in their affairs, even people you don't know personally. From what I've just seen today, it seems to me that you will not even stop to think about what kind of repercussions your help will serve...or better yet, if your help would give inconsiderate people an opening to take advantage of you. The human race is eternally flawed, with every individual motivated by their own personal beliefs, which fuels some sort of greed within them. You cannot just _expect_ to help some random person without thinking about if he or she's got some sort of evil intention in mind, or at least one that disagrees with your beliefs."

"Yet you just said earlier that I don't address the emotions of others-" began Ash.

"_Exactly_. That's where my loophole fixes itself, Ash." Calem crossed his arms. "When you're focused on trying to become a Pokémon Master, you don't make an effort to do that. But when you actually _try_ to make an effort, you fall short on doing that exact thing. _Badly_ so."

"What makes you think that, Calem?!" Ash snarled. "There's no one who I helped who turned out to be evil in the end!"

"What about Floyd? Do you think he counts?"

Ash opened his mouth to protest, but then, he realized Calem was right. He was the first one who believed in Floyd's claims that he abandoned Adam and his cronies. In fact, he believed the conniving villain as soon as he made said claims! And now, he was lying on a hospital bed with a severe stomach injury...

And hundreds, maybe thousands of innocent people and Pokémon were badly hurt...

"I...I-I think my head hurts..." the raven-haired Trainer moaned.

"Alright, that's it!" snapped Hilbert, glaring at Calem. "Get out!"

"What'd I do?!" Calem exclaimed. "I was just telling him the truth-"

"Well," said Serena, "you probably should've done it when Ash was better recovered!"

"I couldn't help it! Besides, _someone_ had to wake him up sooner or-"

However, the Kalos Trainer was cut off upon being met with bitter stares from everyone else in the room. He was not intimidated by the negative shift in atmosphere, though, and Calem merely stared back at them with an expression of calmness. To his relief, the only one who didn't treat him with negativity was Shauna.

"Calem," the dark-skinned Performer said, "I, uh...I think you should leave..."

Calem blinked at her, then looked at the others. Realizing from their agitated expressions that he was not wanted in the room right now, he merely nodded and swiftly left without saying another word. As soon as it was obvious he left, the others stared at Ash, but no one said a word for the next few minutes. An awkward silence fell upon the room suddenly, and Ash glanced at a window in pity. The group was celebrating their victory, but now, it was dispelled by an argument. He did not want this to be how he and his friends would celebrate something joyous in the future. All he expected from this was peace and everyone getting along...

_**"What makes you think that, Calem?! There's no one who I helped who turned out to be evil in the end!"**_

_**"What about Floyd? Do you think he counts?"**_

Ash's eyes narrowed upon remembering Calem's words. Remembering his first encounter with Floyd since the incident at the forest, in front of M Electronics, he could not believe what he had done. He put his trust on a villain who claimed to have repented his sins, only for this person to abruptly stab him in the back and participate in the outrageous atrocities that laid waste to Lumiose City and hurt so many innocent lives. When he was supporting Floyd's claims, he never stopped to think of the potentially severe repercussions his actions would serve. Not once did he think over what he would be doing through that decision... All he did was stick up for him...

He stood up for Floyd...and now, a lot of people paid the price...including himself...

Ash groaned softly; he suddenly felt a brief pricking sensation on his stomach wound. It was as if it sensed his mental distress and sent the signal of pain to his brain to provide him with concrete proof of what he had done to lead to that injury. He couldn't believe this was actually coming back to bite him in the backside...

"So...uh..." Cilan piped suddenly, dispelling the awkward tension hanging over the group, "who wants some cooked food?"

* * *

"I can't believe he's so _blind_! Blind _and_ deaf!"

Calem ground his teeth and curled his hands up into trembling fists while storming out of the Center and into the nearby Magenta Plaza, the Trainer stopped along the fountain and looked at it. Watching as the water spouted out from the concrete structure and into the pool, his anger faded, and he let out a heavy sigh.

"Unbelievable, just unbelievable," he muttered. "I just lashed out at people who cared about me..._again_. ...Heh. Guess it couldn't be helped for me."

"You know," a voice said, "you're in the right for saying those words to him."

Calem looked behind him and saw Paul standing a yard away. The Kalos Trainer smiled slightly and fully faced him.

"Hey there," he greeted. "You're...Paul, right?"

Paul nodded in a subtle, almost unnoticeable way. "I agree with you." He glared at the Center with serious eyes. "His ideals and views on life are certainly flawed. He may seek to help other people in need, but every action comes with a price." He scoffed. "He thinks love and compassion is the solution to everything."

Calem crossed his arms suspiciously. "I thought you were a friend of Ash's," he replied.

Paul grunted in disgust. "Not necessarily a friend. I like to think of myself and him as two people who respectfully agreed to respectfully disagree with each other."

"He certainly treats you like a friend."

"Because he does that to every single person he meets, regardless of their personal beliefs." The purple-haired Trainer then looked at Calem. "And you are right. It is certainly admirable to help any person who's in need. However, one cannot simply help everyone without bearing the forethought of people's innermost intentions. He doesn't know that, though, or otherwise is intentionally neglecting that fact. Like you said, that Floyd person certainly took advantage of his trust."

"Yes, that's right," Calem replied. "And who knows how many people he helped turned out to have darkness in their hearts."

"It's certainly a sad world we live in. That's one of the reasons why I aspire to become strong and keep emotions such as love out of the equation. Love can only take one person so far. But when we show love and compassion to others, it makes us soft. Gullible. Ripe for external influence.

"Strength, on the other hand, is an entirely different matter altogether. Anyone and anything with insurmountable strength could endure and prosper in any situation, while all of those who are weak either perish or follow the strong one in an effort to survive themselves. Survival of the fittest, as everyone says."

"And if the principles of love and strength are bound to the beliefs of the same person," continued Calem, "then they will conflict. Love and strength are not the same. One may say love gives us strength, but that is all a lie. Indeed, love may spark the resolve to be strong, but when the person or object that is the center of this love is endangered, that would still leave an easy opening for external influence. And that is when strength will fail."

Paul nodded. "Indeed."

A smile crept onto Calem's face. "It's good to meet someone who has the same beliefs as me."

"Trust me, there are more of us than you can imagine. But, if I may ask, why criticized love and prefer strength when you are in a tight-knit group of friends?"

Calem's smile vanished. "They think I'm their friend. But that's just an act."

"Then why the act?"

However, Calem didn't respond. Instead, he turned his back on Paul and continued staring at the fountain as it spouted out water.

_**"Do you believe in your own words?"**_

_"Yes, I do."_

**_"...If you insist..."_**

* * *

**On Route 13**

The lone girl with dark skin stood on the deserted trail, her unusually thick purple hair fluttering with the wind. She quietly looked up at the cloudy sky and narrowed her eyes as she scanned every cloud, apparently in search for an unknown object. Minutes passed, and the head of an exhausted Axew poked out of the girl's hair.

"Axew?..." it moaned.

"Patience, Axew," Iris replied. "We'll find it. It couldn't have possibly gone this far away from Lumiose City... We'll find it eventually..."

"Axew..."

* * *

**M Electronics  
Autumnal Avenue  
Over an hour later**

"Would you mind telling me what _that_ was all about?" Serena asked, looking at Shauna.

The two Pokémon Performers, along with Clemont, Bonnie, Tierno, and Trevor, were walking down one of Autumnal Avenue's sidewalks, towards M Electronics. Just a few minutes earlier, they parted with Ash and the others, Calem included, then left the Center. However, Serena couldn't get Calem's behavior out of her mind.

"To be honest, Serena," Shauna replied, looking down solemnly, "I have _no_ idea. Calem's not the type of person to challenge anyone's personal beliefs."

"Not even an _inkling_ of knowledge? I mean, he's your friend-"

"Well..." Shauna sighed before continuing, "Yes, he _is_ my friend...but the thing is, we haven't met up with each other in, like, seven years..."

"You haven't seen Calem in eight years?!" Clemont exclaimed.

"Yeah. He became a Pokémon Trainer a full year before the rest of us did. We followed his progress and watched him compete in the Kalos League."

"And then," continued Tierno, "he lost the League."

"He did?!" Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie cried at once.

"Yeah," Shauna replied sadly. "The loss...it hit him really hard. He was _so_ confident that he'd beat the League and move on to the Champion League. He was doing so well too. He defeated all eight Gyms on his first tries, his Pokémon were very strong, anyone who challenged him didn't stand a chance... He kept blaming himself..."

"Oh..." Serena's eyes softened. "I'm sorry to hear that..."

"Yeah," said Trevor. "We were too. We tried to cheer him up, but he just shut us out of his life."

"And then," continued Shauna, "a couple of months after the Kalos League, he suddenly left."

"Where'd he go?" Bonnie asked.

"We don't know... When we tried looking for him, all we were told was that he went to another region. We never knew which one, though, but we assumed he had to be challenging its Pokémon League. Because he was not contacting us and we had no way of contacting him, the only thing we could do was wish him the best of luck and pray to Arceus for his safety. But..." Shauna's eyes softened as she looked down at the sidewalk. "It was a very empty seven years..."

"But you met up with him again recently," Serena said. "Did he ever tell you where he went?"

Her fellow Performer chuckled hollowly. "If we did, we would've told you already."

"Did he ever tell you what he was doing the last seven years?" asked Clemont.

"Traveling," Tierno replied. "That was his only response. No other details, man."

"To be honest," said Trevor, "we think he may have done some shady stuff while he was off the grid-"

"No, _you're_ the only one who thinks so, Trev."

"Come on, Tierno! The guy was technically missing for seven years! We had no way of contacting him, he never contacted us, no one's ever seen or heard of any sort of progress he's done... And then, when we suddenly meet him on Route 4, he acts like he only saw us yesterday, yet he never tells us where he's been, or what he's done... Heck, the only piece of info we got about him was when Misty greeted Calem and said he challenged her Gym some years back!"

"That's the only thing you learned about Calem from the past seven years?" Serena asked.

"Yeah, that was about it," replied Shauna. "But aside from him having a more than a little debate with Ash about his ideals, Calem did not change. He was back to the strong-willed, determined Trainer I knew seven years ago! He wasn't depressed about any losses or anything else!" She smiled. "In fact, it was quite a good change-"

"Good change?" Trevor interrupted. "_Good change_?! More like _weird_ change! Shauna, aren't you even a _little_ puzzled about what Calem was doing those past years?"

"He hasn't done anything bad, Trev. I don't think there's anything to be concerned about-"

"Maybe there _should_ be!"

"Dude, what's wrong with you?" asked Tierno, his eyebrow raised.

Trevor crossed his arms and looked away. "_Nothing_..."

Fortunately for Serena, the group approached M Electronics immediately, dissipating any awkwardness that was forming in the air. The five Trainers, plus the little girl, stepped inside the electronics store, where they found Meyer and Ampharos conversing with a brown-haired woman with a Fletchling perched on her shoulder.

"Hey, Daddy!" Bonnie exclaimed, catching the attention of both Meyer and the woman.

"Why, hello there, kids!" greeted the electrician.

"Hi, Serena," the woman said. "How was Ash?"

"Oh, he's awake now and doing just fine," replied Serena, smiling softly. "Thanks for asking, Mom."

Grace nodded in response, exhaling in relief. Ever since she saw the live news report of Serena and her friends being attacked on Prism Tower, she rushed to Lumiose City on her Rhyhorn. She arrived just in time to see the perpetrators of the so-called 'Lumiose City disaster' being arrested...

"You know," she said, "I should've known it'd be him who was behind all of this..."

"You mean Adam?" Serena replied.

"Yeah." The former jockey's eyes narrowed. "I mean, he was always a cheating, self-absorbed, good-for-nothing ba-" Then, she noticed Bonnie in time. "-bad guy, but I never thought he had the gusto to pull this kind of thing off. Although I guess he was desperate ever since I turned him in so many years ago."

"Wait a minute, you _knew_ those goons, Ms. Yates?" Shauna asked, her eyes wide.

"Oh yeah, you weren't there when my mom broke the news to us," replied Serena.

"What news?" asked Tierno.

Serena glanced at her mother. "Should you tell them, Mom?"

"Well," replied Grace, "considering your friends here were nearly killed by Adam, I guess I've got an obligation to tell them all about the psycho who nearly took their lives just as much as you do." She cleared her throat before beginning. "You see, kids, Adam and some of his gang, they were all rivals of mine when I was a Rhyhorn Racer. They used ruthless methods to win and never hesitated to sabotage the competition, just so Adam can take all the trophies.

"Being the new kid on the block at the time, I was the one who suffered the most from their shenanigans. However, despite their many, and I mean MANY attempts to throw me off my game, I kept on beating them more than they would beat me. Because of this, their methods became more extreme.

"Finally, near the end of one racing season, Adam became very desperate. He and his friends planted an experimental Rhyhorn performance enhancement formula on my Rhyhorn before the mandated inspection. Because the usage of enhancement drugs was illegal in Rhyhorn Racing, the inspectors would think that I used that stuff on Rhyhorn and report me, which would then result in my permanent expulsion from Rhyhorn Racing. I will admit, it was a foolproof plan. My Rhyhorn was considered by racing experts to be the runt of the litter; many people were surprised it was capable of winning. Using an enhancement drug on it would've made sense."

"Did the inspectors think you cheated?" asked Trevor.

Grace nodded. "Yeah. They found the formula and immediately assumed I was using it on Rhyhorn. I...I was expelled from Rhyhorn Racing..."

Serena's eyes softened. She may have heard the story already, but it still pained her to know her mother went through such a terrible ordeal, over a simple mistake...

"Those meanies!" Bonnie snapped.

"Bonnie!" Clemont scolded. "Don't interrupt!"

"It's okay, Clemont," replied Grace. "Anyway, I thought my life as a Rhyhorn Racer was over."

"What happened next?" Shauna asked, completely engrossed in the story.

"One of Adam's friends turned them in."

"Heh. I doubt it-"

"It's not any of Adam's friends you've seen or heard, my dear. There was another person in Adam's group, named Jake."

Serena watched as Grace's eyes softened at the name. She remembered her vision of Jake during her encounter with Adam and his gang in the forest. She could still remember what Jake told her, what he implied about his connection with her mother... Day after day, she wondered what exactly that connection was...

Grace continued, "A couple of days after my expulsion, the day before the big race, he told the inspectors about Adam's plan to frame me. He also told them about all the other stuff he and his friends did to usurp any competition, as well as the fact that Adam had recently been using the same performance enhancement drug on his own Rhyhorn. All of these offenses amounted to expulsion from Rhyhorn Racing, which was dealt to Adam and his gang. And as a result, I was allowed back in."

"And I take it that Adam dude didn't like that one bit," Tierno said bitterly.

Grace nodded, almost sadly. "He and his friends attacked me while I was on my way to the big race..." She hesitated for a moment. "I managed to escape and report them to police but by the time the officers got there, they were gone. Several minutes later, they robbed a Poké Mart nearby and left the owner and a customer badly hurt. Because of that, they were declared wanted criminals, all extremely dangerous, and that was the last I heard of them since then.

"That is, until Serena told me about her encounter with them in the forest near Cyllage City."

"Yeah, you guys kept mentioning something happening in a forest," Shauna replied, looking at Serena now. "What exactly happened there?"

"Bonnie and I were separated from Ash and Clemont during a terrible forest fire," explained Serena. "While making our way through the forest, we came across Adam and Floyd, who were separated from Lloyd and Nick. We decided to stay together as a group if we were to find our friends. At the time, me and Bonnie weren't aware of their status as criminals. They told us they were Pokémon researchers studying in the forest...and we trusted them. We didn't even know _they_ caused that fire."

"Oh my Arceus..."

"Finally, we found Lloyd and Nick's hiding place after a day of searching. That was when Adam and Floyd betrayed us and took us hostage. Fortunately for us, Ash and Clemont came to the rescue, we battled the four of them, they were defeated, Officer Jenny came to respond to the fire, and they escaped." She then hesitated for an extremely brief moment. "But not before Braixen, a Fennekin at the time, accidentally shot an Ember into Adam's face, burning half of it."

Serena then exhaled in relief, feeling as if a dark, unwanted energy had just escaped her. She felt _so_ relieved to share that story to someone who wasn't there during that time in the forest. Doing so took off a large amount of pressure from her chest. She then looked into Shauna's shocked eyes.

"And that's why Adam was after me, all this time," she finished.

"Wow, Serena," Shauna replied. "You went through all of _that_?..."

The Performer nodded. "Yeah. Pretty much..."

"Speaking of which," Clemont piped, "what happened to Jake? Every time we've encountered Adam, we never heard of any Jake currently being in his group."

"I honestly have no idea," replied Grace. She then looked down at the floor softly. "But I do hope he was able to find some sort of happiness without Adam. Out of all the people in Adam's gang, he was the nicest to me." She looked back up at the Trainers. "If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have been the Rhyhorn Racer I am today."

* * *

After a few minutes passed, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor said their goodbyes to the others and left the electronics store. Once the trio left, Meyer let out a heavy sigh.

"Man, what a long day," the electrician moaned as he rubbed his back. "I still have some more orders to carry out and now that Boyd is no longer working in the store because of his criminal history, I'm gonna have to do all of it myself." He glanced at the piles of boxes sitting in the kitchen nearby. "I need a break from this job..."

"We'll help you, Daddy!" Bonnie suddenly exclaimed.

"We...We _will_?..." asked Clemont, surprised at his younger sister's abrupt request.

"Of course, silly! Daddy's got a lot of work to do, and now that everyone knows how much of a meanie Floyd is, he's got no one to help him! We might as well!"

"Dedenne!" chirped Dedenne, smiling toothily.

"Bu-But-But-"

However, the inventor's stutter by a sudden slap on the back that was so powerful he nearly fell over. Meyer was now grinning in relief.

"Oh, what would happen to me if I didn't have you kids?" he bellowed. "I'm so moved by your generosity! Alright Bonnie, you get those boxes over there." He pointed at a small stack of lightweight cardboard boxes. "Clemont, I want you to take care of those boxes near the refrigerator. Be careful!"

Clemont's skin paled the moment he saw the three gargantuan, heavy-looking boxes lying next to the aforementioned refrigerator. He might've as well fainted.

"What about me?" Serena asked.

"Actually, Serena," piped Grace, "I need you to help me carry out a favor of my own, so would you mind going with me?"

"What?!" exclaimed Clemont, sweat-dropping. "N-No fair! I wanna help you, Ms. Yates-"

"Aw, come on, Clemont!" Meyer said, grabbing his son on the back of his shirt. "We should leave these ladies by themselves for the time being. Be a gentleman!"

"But-But-But-"

However, Clemont could only watch helplessly as Serena nodded in agreement at her mother and followed her out of the store.

Once the two of them stepped out of M Electronics and onto the horizontal sidewalk of Autumnal Avenue, Serena looked at her mother quizzically. As the two females strolled down the sidewalk, the honey-haired Performer began to think about what she had just been informed about Jake and his past. Even though Grace had been extremely forthcoming with most of the details, there was one piece of information that appeared to be missing, and Serena knew what it was...

"Serena?" Grace piped.

"Yeah, Mom?" replied the young Trainer.

"I...I'm sorry for not telling you about what happened between me and Adam and all of his friends... The moment you mentioned them during that one phone call, I-I didn't want to tell you about who they were... I didn't want to give you any further trauma than what you already had, honey. But I guess it would've been import-"

"It's okay, Mom," Serena interrupted. "I understand why you didn't tell me about Adam. It's okay, really."

The former Rhyhorn Racer sighed in relief. "Oh, thank Arceus..."

"But-"

"Oh, no," Grace moaned.

"There's something that doesn't make sense." Serena stopped walking and looked at her mother seriously. "I want you to answer one question I have."

"Oh, Arceus..." replied Grace as she stopped walking as well and looked back at her daughter.

"I'm serious, Mom. I want you to answer the question, and I want you to answer it seriously. I don't know why, but I have a feeling you're avoiding this topic."

"I have NO idea what you're-"

"Talking about?" Serena raised an eyebrow, an angry frown on her face. "Mom, _please_. This is something I MUST know about."

"Fine, fine, _fine_!" Grace let out a heavy sigh to calm herself, before continuing, "So...what is it you wanna ask, Serena?"

The honey-haired girl took a deep breath before asking, "Is Jake my father, Mom?"

* * *

**The PWT Pokémon Center**

"You're stupid for doing that, you know that?!"

"Pip-piplup!"

Ash chuckled and sweat-dropped nervously at Dawn's angry remark. Ever since Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor left, he went on with socializing with the others. In the span of over an hour, everyone left one by one until it was just Dawn, Hilbert, and Hilda remaining. He also received some other visitors, which included Cynthia, Diantha, Ritchie, Harrison, Tyson, Nando, Barry, Luke, and (to his surprise) Paul and Trip, both of whom seemed to get along really well.

Right now, he was dealing with Dawn's reaction when he told her, Hilbert, and Hilda the story of his first day in the Kalos region, including his first fall off Prism Tower.

"Well, I had to!" Ash exclaimed. "Pikachu was falling and I had to catch him somehow!"

"By falling yourself?" replied Hilbert, shocked.

"If it means cushioning his fall with my own body, then it's worth it!"

"Pika-Pikachu," Pikachu remarked, patting his friend's shoulder as thanks.

"Wow," Hilda said. "You care about others so much and put their safety above your own. That's... That's AWESOME! Wow, I wish Hilbert had that kind of gusto."

"Excuse me?!" the male president exclaimed, surprised by the comment.

"Well, it's true! If _I_ fell off Prism Tower, would _you_ jump off and catch me and use your own body to cushion my fall?"

"Well..."

However, Hilbert hesitated, and his face turned a bright red. Apparently, this expression was all it took for Hilda to confirm her opinion on the subject.

"I thought so," she remarked.

"But-But I went up a whole flight of stairs just to get to you! I never stopped running and resolved to never stop until I got you free from the clutches of those villains and took you to safety!" His face turned even redder as he continued to express his argument. "Su-Surely that kind of determination means something to you-"

"But you didn't save me, now didn't you?" interrupted Hilda. Though her voice was cheery as usual, there was a harsh coldness to her remark.

"Aw, come on, Hilda!" Ash said, sensing the heightening tension between the two BW Agency Presidents and trying to dispel it. "Hilbert contributed a lot to our efforts in saving you. Everyone worked together to save you from Adam and his goons. I think you should be more appreciative of that."

"Pika!" added Pikachu in encouragement.

Hilda blinked rapidly, surprised to see Ash come to the defense of someone she perceived to be useless and cowardly like Hilbert. However, if someone as courageous like Ash Ketchum was willing to stick up for even the underdog, then that must be some loving, compassion person, she knew.

"Oh, I'm sorry about that," she replied, giving Ash a wide, cheeky smile. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind for the future!"

Ash smiled back at the president. "That's good!"

However, Hilbert scoffed, quietly enough so no one else could hear. Just then, he felt his cellphone vibrate and took the device out of his pocket to check the number.

"Oh," he said upon recognizing the number.

"Something wrong, Hilbert?" asked Ash, having noticed his friend's shift in attitude.

"No, everything's fine. Um, will you excuse me, Ash? I have to take this phone call."

"Yeah, sure!" The raven-haired Trainer gave Hilbert a thumbs-up. "No problem."

"Pika!" Pikachu also gave Hilbert a thumbs-up of his own.

Hilbert nodded in thanks and left the room, leaving Ash alone with Pikachu, Dawn, Piplup, and Hilda. An awkward silence soon filled the room, as no one had anything else to possibly talk about. Then, just a couple of minutes after Hilbert left, Dawn picked Piplup up from the ground and started to leave the room.

"Hey, where are you going, Dawn?" Ash asked.

"I'm gonna check on my mom," replied the blue-haired Coordinator. "Her Umbreon got hurt bad while fighting those Electric Pokémon. I wanna see if it's doing well."

"Oh, okay. I'll see you in a bit, then!"

"Yeah, see you!" She then looked at Hilda and waved at her. "See you, Hilda!"

"Bye-bye, Dawnie!" replied Hilda happily. Dawn twitched at the sound of the nickname, but didn't react any further and left the room.

Now, it was just Ash, Pikachu, and Hilda. Just like when Hilbert left, they merely remained in their positions, awkwardly silent and not willing to say a thing. However, Hilda gazed at Ash as he attentively and silently stroked Pikachu's chin, much to the Mouse Pokémon's pleasure. A soft, almost mesmerized smile curved her lips, and a faint pink blush appeared on her cheeks. It didn't take long for the raven-haired Trainer to notice the president staring at him with such intensity.

"Is everything okay, Hilda?" he asked.

"W-Wh-Why do y-you ask?!" stuttered Hilda, surprised that he actually noticed her looking at him.

"Your cheeks are getting red." He raised an eyebrow, and he pursed his lips as he examined Hilda's face. Her fair skin was reddening by the minute, and her blue eyes began to glimmer with welling tears of embarrassment. "I think you should get Nurse Joy. You might have a fever or something."

Upon hearing that remark, Hilda burst out into relieved laughter. She couldn't believe Ash was _this_ dense! A fever?! _Really_?! But...as she continued to look at Ash with such heated, intense desire, she found that she didn't mind such a hilarious obliviousness. ...In fact, despite the shortcomings she sensed ever since she first met this peculiar raven-haired Trainer with the Pikachu on his shoulder, Hilda found this boy to be quite admirable...and...

"Oh, looks like you're feeling okay!" Ash exclaimed, smiling optimistically as he watched Hilda laughing. "The redness in your cheeks is going away!"

"Yeah, that's a relief," replied Hilda as she wiped a tear from her eye. Then, she continued to look into Ash's auburn eyes with such intensity.

"Uh..." Ash's eyes widened upon noticing Hilda's gaze, her clear, sapphire-blue eyes boring holes into his own eyes. "H-Hi-_Hilda_?..."

To his surprise, Hilda started slowly leaning towards him. There seemed to be nothing holding her back now.

"You know," she said, "you're actually pretty cute..."

"I...I _am_?" Ash then looked at Pikachu, who was watching the entire conversation with shock. "I mean, I don't think I am cute. But Pikachu here, he's cute-"

Hilda cut him off with more laughter. "Oh, Ash. Your obliviousness is _especially_ cute. But I think you need to make some serious changes to your cuteness scale."

"Wh-What do you mean some serious changes-?"

He was cut off yet again the moment Hilda kissed him on the lips.

_**"You did well, Ash. You did very well."**_

* * *

**Hotel Richissime  
North Boulevard**

"No, unfortunately. Those crooks weren't affiliated with the organization, Grandmother. Just a ragtag group of independent criminals seeking to make a fast buck."

Cynthia's gray eyes narrowed considerably at the last sentence; she had never felt this disappointed since her loss to Tobias in the Champion League. Her grip on the phone tightened to the point where she nearly broke it in half. She was greeted with a disappointed sigh that emanated from the other line of the conversation.

"Did you find _anything_ that could lead us to the organization that stole the Adamant, Lustrous, and Griseous Orbs, dear?!" Professor Carolina snapped sternly.

"I'm sorry, Grandmother," replied the Sinnoh Champion. "I've found absolutely _nothing_. Not even so much as a paper trail for food and drink purchases. Do you _really_ believe the person who gave you that tip? You don't know his actual name, or even where he, or she, sent that email from-"

"I am _certain_, Cynthia. The PWT is an occasion the organization will not hesitate to strike. Many powerful Pokémon are there, including yours."

"You do not have to remind me, Grandmother. I am on my guard 24-7."

"Well then, dear, I want you to apply that attentiveness to your tracking skills! We must have those orbs back before the organization uses them for their own deeds!"

Cynthia grunted angrily. "But I don't have anything to _work_ on, Grandmother..."

"You're the Sinnoh _Champion_, dear! Surely a task like this is nothing more than a pushover to you!"

"I _was_ the Sinnoh Champion, Grandmother. Remember, someone else has taken that title-"

"Oh, pish-posh!" Carolina interrupted bitterly. "We all know that battle was completely rigged on the new guy's part."

"But I can't just confront the Champion Conference and tell them that. Rules are rules-"

"And regardless of whether you're a Champion or not, you still have the skills imprinted on your brain. _Use_ those skills, dear. Find us something useful!"

Cynthia sighed heavily before replying, "I will, Grandmother..."

She hung up and tossed the phone carelessly onto her bed. The blonde-haired former Champion then approached the mirror situated in front of her and stared deeply into its reflection. After innumerable minutes of staring, her gray eyes narrowed distastefully at the sight of the reflection before her.

* * *

**The PWT Pokémon Center**

_"I wonder what she meant by that..."_

That one single thought raced across Serena's mind over and over again, occupying her attention as she walked towards the PWT Pokémon Center, a bouquet of roses clutched tightly in her hand. Her unoccupied hand was held securely over her chest, specifically over the blue ribbon Ash gave her as a gift at Coumarine City all those weeks ago. However, it definitely wasn't Ash she was thinking about. No, it was about what her mother told her in response to her question.

_**"I suspect he is."**_

_"Doesn't she know?"_ she thought. _"I mean, she and Jake were in a relationship. They had to be if Mom would put Jake in a bright light compared to Adam, Floyd, and the others. ...She's withholding something from me. I know it. There's one piece of info she's intentionally hiding from me, a piece that'll complete the puzzle._

_"But...the real question is...what sort of picture does that piece contain?..."_

"Oh, hey Serena!" a familiar voice greeted. Serena pulled herself back to reality and found herself staring at Hilbert.

"Oh, hello Hilbert," replied Serena, her voice strangely soft, something the president noticed.

"Something wrong?"

"Huh?" Then, Serena gave him an innocent smile. "Oh, nothing's wrong, nothing at all! I was just thinking about a new strategy to use for the Pokémon Showcase."

"Oh yeah, the Showcase..." Hilbert's eyes softened. "About that..."

Serena raised an eyebrow. "Why? What happened?"

"I just got a call from the BW Agency board. Because of all the damage Adam and his goons inflicted on Lumiose City, plus the negative publicity hanging around, the BW Agency is trying to distance itself from any potential repercussions. As a result, the board thought it'd be best to, uh, _postpone_ the PWT..."

The girl's eyes widened in horror. "WHAT?! FOR HOW LONG?!"

"They said just for a few weeks." Hilbert placed his hands on Serena's shoulders. "Don't worry, though, Serena. The PWT will resume. The BW Agency is not willing to spend so much money on an occasion such as this and suddenly cancel it when there's negative publicity. You'll just have to wait-"

"But I've been working so hard to prepare for the Showcase!" Serena interrupted.

"Then you can continue working hard so you can be at your very best when you're on the stage! You have all of this time to be at your best game, Serena! It's a good opportunity! Plus..." He looked around warily before whispering, "You can seize all of this spare time to work on your confession to Ash. We can still put up our act."

A dark shade of scarlet appeared on Serena's cheeks. "I...I don't know... Maybe I'm not ready to make a confession yet..."

Hilbert sighed and tutted as he half-escorted, half-dragged the honey-haired girl towards Ash's room. "You're willing to overcome just about anything except for your crush on Ash? Whatever happened to the Serena who encouraged me to pursue my dreams in that café? Serena, if you don't confess your feelings to him as soon as possible, then who knows what'll happen? There's no doubt one of the other girls in that harem of his will beat you to the punch!"

Serena scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, trust me, Hilbert," she replied bitterly, "Ash is WAY too oblivious to the very concept of romance. All the girls can strip down to their underwear...heck, they can be NAKED and Ash will just run away from them like a little boy who accidentally wanders into the girls' restroom!"

"And yet," Hilbert said as he and Serena approached the curtain that led to Ash's bed, "he cares for you a lot. I mean, he is _willing_ to take on automatic gunfire and a missile explosion, just to save your life! He may be thick-headed when it comes to romance, but I can tell that deep down, he returns your feelings."

"You sound like you know this from experience, Hilbert."

"Trust me, I...I know where you come from..." Hilbert's eyes darkened for a moment. "Anyway, you gotta be fast on your feet before someone beats you to him."

He drew the curtain away...and gasped in shock.

Serena and Hilbert watched on as Ash and Hilda kissed like there was no tomorrow. Upon noticing their presence, the two broke apart, both blushing intensely.

"H-He-_Hey_, guys..." stuttered Ash.

All Serena could do was drop the bouquet of roses in her horror. It fell to the ground with a soft, almost inaudible thud.

* * *

_"And thus, the **final curtain  
**Has been drawn on this stage  
That is called life!  
But be warned, my friend,  
Whenever there is an end,  
There shall also be a beginning!"_

–Sir Willard Quakebow, _The Comedies and Tragedies of Arthur J. Bellevue_

* * *

**END OF ACT I**

* * *

**Next time on "Judgment's Fall"**

_(The camera focuses on the starry nighttime sky, as a meteor shower occurs.)_

**The Benefactor:** These fools have no idea what is coming for them.

**Alastair:** So, sir, shall we attack?

**The Benefactor:** Heh heh. Yes.

**The battle for Lumiose City...**

_(Dawn, Johanna, Lucas, Zoey, and several others battle the Electric Pokémon.)_

_(Marina rescues Jimmy and Vincent as they are being overwhelmed by forces of Electric Pokémon.)_

_(Paul and Trip compete to bring down the most Electric Pokémon.)_

_(Clemont leads the others out of Prism Tower.)_

_(Serena and Braixen engaged Adam and Delphox in a heated battle.)_

**...May have ended.**

**Brandon:** No... _No_... It can't be...

_(Regigigas, Regirock, Regice, and Registeel fire their respective attacks at a gargantuan red foot.)_

**But...**

_(A flood ravages through Snowpoint City, as an unknown, bipedal red Pokémon with golden stripe-like markings on its body and clawed hands trudges through it.)_

**...The war for the world...**

**Looker:** We've managed to find several Syndicate contacts.

**Nate:** Where?

_(Several undercover investigators, including Looker, Nate, and Archer, are standing inside an airport.)_

**Looker:** Lumiose City.

_(Many cameras in the airport automatically begin to focus on the undercover officers, recording every movement they made.)_

**...Has begun.**

**Ash:** Solana? Jackie? Looker?

_(Several G-Men, Pokémon Rangers, and International Policemen stood before Ash and his friends.)_

**Looker:** Hello, Ash. It so happens that we've run into a...sticky situation...

_(Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres cried out in distress as several large, unknown Poké Balls headed straight for them.)_

_(It blacks out for a moment.)_

_(Orlando raises the Red Orb high into the air as it begins to glow.)_

**Bonnie:** What's going on?!

_(Entei lets out an earsplitting roar, which causes unstoppable fires to erupt all around it, burning anything in the vicinity.)_

**Alastair:** How would you all like to be in the front-row seats as you witness the unthinkable become the thinkable!

**Charon:** Prepare your history books, because they're about to be drastically rewritten! HAHAHAHAHA!

_(Alamos Town's Time Tower completely collapses into a pile of smoky rubble as news helicopters watch.)_

**Darkrai: _GO AWAY!_**

_(Darkrai attacks several opposing Pokémon with a powerful Dark Pulse.)_

_(A large explosion totals several apartment buildings.)_

**Iris:** I can't believe this is _happening_...

_(Mega Mewtwo Y flies across a stormy sky, wearing an expression of determined resolve.)_

**Adam:** Heh heh heh. Come here, little Serena...

_(Serena looks behind her in terror.)_

_(It blacks out for a moment.)_

**What would you do...**

_(A pair of hands reach closer and closer to the Soul Dew.)_

_(Latias cries out in pain.)_

**...If your world was in danger...**

_(A gargantuan tsunami approaches Alto Mare.)_

**...And you can't do anything...**

_(It blacks out for a moment.)_

**...To stop it?**

_(The camera focuses on a quiet, tranquil, endless sea as a small flock of Wingull fly around it.)_

**Latias:** Brother?...

**Latios:** Tell me, Latias, whatever is wrong?

**Latias:** I...I had a very scary dream...

**Latios:** It's okay, my dear sister. Everything is going to be all right.

_**\- POKEMON: JUDGMENT'S FALL -**_

_**ACT II: LIFE**_

* * *

**A/N:** And thus concludes Act I of "Judgment's Fall"! And man, what an end it was! Could this be the end to AmourShipping?! ...Nah. Remember, the summary. :P

As for the Syndicate, yeah, it was obvious they didn't play much of a role in this act outside of one chapter, but don't worry. We'll see more of them in the next act!

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

**PersonWhoReads13:** No. Adam and the others WILL return, and they'll be even more ticked off than ever.

**ajani's apprentice:**

1) XD

2) No, she's not an alternate version of Serena. You'll find out as the story goes along.

3) At least we have a plausible explanation behind her absence.

4) Sadly enough...

**edCOM02:** Aren't cliches fun?! XD Anyway, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the battle between Serena and Adam! I made sure it had to top the one I wrote for them in "Separation". As for the girl's identity, just like I told ajani's apprentice, you'll have to wait as the story progresses.

**Gyga (guest reviewer):** I'm glad you liked the lighthearted moments such as those examples you mentioned! I had to keep things a little positive even if the entire sequence was meant to be dark. As for the PWT, yeah, it's obvious it won't be underway for a while longer. But I shall confess...the story was never about the PWT...

**SakuraNinjaress:** Weren't Serena and Braixen badass or WHAT?! :D Anyway, yes, Adam and his cronies are caught, but that wasn't the last you've seen of them!...

**ChE clarinetist:**

1) Thank you. Action sequences have always been one of my strongest suits.

2) Indeed, Ash did learn something from trusting someone so quickly without thoroughly thinking it over...or did he?...

3) Well, Pokémon Racing _was_ included in the list of PWT events mentioned by Clemont in 'Prologue, Part II'; I kinda generalized it because the episode where Serena and Grace raced on Skiddo (I forgot what the episode title was) featured a different venue of Pokémon racing. "The Way We Will Be" had nothing to do with anything having to do with "Judgment's Fall". Anyway, I had Grace travel all the way to Lumiose City anyway, so, problem solved! I guess...

4) I do not know where you got the girl having ties with Calem and Lucas, because there AREN'T any ties. The girl's a completely independent character with her own motives, that's something I'll tell you all about her. Anyway, you'll see more of her in the next act. Keep your fingers crossed on more info! :D

**justareadersofar:**

1) I think the words you wanted were 'good repeat of past events'. You were close!

2) Yes, Adam's definitely gone insane. But I think you're missing one other important victim of his insanity... ;)

3) Yes, there'll be multiple acts. If you visit my profile, you'll know exactly how long this story is, and how it's gonna be organized.

4) Oh yes, Ash's stomach wound will play a little role in the future! (If I remember, that is; more ideas will come to me in the future and impress me more.)

**Hero Time 18:** You mean Act I? 'Cause no, I don't plan to have it, or any of Ash's other Pokémon, for that matter, appear this soon. But they will appear! You'll see.

**The Totem (guest reviewer):** Wow, you were touched by Ash's near-death experience?! Man, I didn't expect that scene to be very emotional for you! Thanks a lot for the compliment! And yes, THIS IS HOW THE ANIME SHOULD BE! As for Diantha's sudden appearance, I hope my explanation for it was satisfactory enough to give some justification in her being late to the story. And yes, the Lumiose City Disaster was indeed the climax for Act I.

**Leader of the Bronies:** Hopefully you got my PM message regarding your question! I'm glad you're enjoying this story. :)

**EquinoxWolf:** Apparently, Iris doesn't have the PWT or Lumiose in mind. Instead, she's searching for something...

**xxxSMDxxx:** It's a sad world we live in if the anime doesn't have the cubes to man up more. :(

**Moderator:** Is that all you have to say in your review?

**pokefan (guest reviewer):** You'll see later. And as for when Ash and Serena will get together, that'll be around the end of Act IV.

**Cyril Bloodlust (guest reviewer):** Actually, I knew about all of the other options that presented themselves to me. But ever since I started planning out Act I, I had always wanted Ash to fall off Prism Tower again. As you can see, that near-death experience put his attention directly back on his goal of becoming a Pokémon Master just like he always wanted, which was always my intention for that scene. There was no better way I wanted the whole thing to go out. So, sorry if you didn't like that part, but it was planned out from the start and I liked how it turned out.

Well, hope you enjoyed the conclusion to Act I and be prepared for Act II! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	16. ACT II: Lord of the Land

**A/N:** I forgot to mention this during the last chapter! This story has just surpassed the 100-review mark! Thank you all for taking some of your precious time to read the chapters, guys! Your reviews mean a lot to me, and I do hope to see more of your support and encouragement in the future! :)

Anyway, before we begin, I just wanna say that earlier today I made a fresh new edit on my profile regarding borrowing my OCs. It's just a little something that came up in my mind during a discussion with one of my readers, ajani's apprentice, who wanted to borrow some OCs for a story of his. If you wanna borrow one or more of my OCs, just check out the section I added in. It has a few rules regarding borrowing my OCs for your own stories, if any of you are interested.

Okay, enough ranting for today. ENJOY!

**Edit:** For some reason, I forgot the Act summary portion of the chapter for quite a while. My bad!

* * *

**BEGINNING OF ACT II**

**ACT II: Life**

* * *

**ACT II Summary:** In the wake of the disaster at Lumiose City, Ash and his friends begin recuperating from the recent events. However, tensions and conflict begin brewing within and among them, while Ash begins questioning his lifelong dream. Meanwhile, the Syndicate embarks on a rampage across the world, capturing several Legendary Pokémon and leaving behind a trail of destruction and death in its wake. All of it leads up to a climactic showdown in Lumiose City...

* * *

**The Secret Garden  
****Alto Mare, Johto**

Latias jerked her eyelids open with a surprised chirp, her golden eyes being instantly greeted by a burst of bright light. Once her eyes were fully adjusted to the light, she realized that she was back in the Secret Garden, on the tree where she usually slept. As the female Eon Pokémon adjusted her position on the tree, she looked at the unoccupied space that was once filled by her brother, who was now one with Arceus. With a soft purr, she kept her distance from that space.

Once she rested her head down on the trunk of the tree, Latias felt a tear slide from her cheek, down her cheek. That was when she felt an otherworldly presence...

_**"Sister?"**_ a voice called in her mind, catching the Eon Pokémon's attention.

"Brother?..." she called in her species' language.

_**"Tell me, Latias," **_replied Latios,_** "whatever is wrong? You were not sleeping soundly."**_

"I...I had a very scary dream..."

_**"A very scary dream? About what, sister?"**_

"I...I dreamed about...an endless ocean, with no land in sight. It was so quiet and tranquil. There was a flock of Wingull flying over it, and the sky was clear, without a single cloud in sight. Because of that, the ocean was so blue, blue everywhere. I had never seen anything like it. But...it was _so_ peaceful...

"Then, a bank of red clouds appeared in the sky, and...and there was nothing I could do to escape them. They were everywhere, and all of the light was fading out. It all became dark, and the ocean became red just like the clouds. The water was so red, and it looked so much like blood... I was so scared, and I-I desperately tried to find land; I really wanted to get away. But everywhere I flew, there was no land, not even a source of light. Red, red, red everywhere! I was so scared, brother!

"And then...I see the face of Ash Ketchum, the boy we met all those years ago, right before you passed... I know not how it was possible, but I saw his face... And he looked upon the vast ocean...and started to cry... I was so confused; I never saw him this emotionally disturbed! But...I cried along with him...and then, I woke up...

"Brother, do you know what this dream meant? Is Ash in trouble? Is he all right?"

_**"It's okay, my dear sister. Everything is going to be all right. Ash is fine. All is fine. There is nothing to fear."**_

Latios nodded, sighing with relief. "Good," she replied. "I do not want to fear anything. After all, I am the guardian of the Soul Dew. I must not show fear."

_**"That is the spirit, sister."**_

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters  
Location unknown**

Back in the sphere of reality, Latias laid unconscious, her body suspended in the middle of her spherical cage by volts of pink electricity. Beside her were several other cages, all of different sizes and shapes, and containing the unconscious form of a different Pokémon. These cages were held by mechanical arms and situated directly in the middle of a small chamber, which was being patrolled by several grunts. These grunts were wearing a variety of uniform designs.

Imprinted high up on a wall behind these cages was the insignia of an S on a hexagon: the Syndicate symbol.

* * *

**Chapter 14: Lord of the Land**

* * *

**The Tin Tower  
Ecruteak City, Johto  
150 years ago**

A tower in flames.

That was the perfect description for that fateful day, to be used for many generations to come, for many centuries. Indeed, the famous Tin Tower of Ecruteak City was completely engulfed in insatiable flames. The townspeople of Ecruteak City fled for their lives, screaming in absolute horror at seeing their honorable place of worship undergo such unforgivable desecration. Pokémon were also fleeing, crying and wailing in fear at the loss of their makeshift home.

In front of the burning Tin Tower, two people stood. One was engulfed in a black-and-red aura, while the other was engulfed in a bright-blue one.

Without a word, the person engulfed in dark aura fired numerous tentacle-like tendrils from his or her body. However, the person engulfed in blue aura, who wielded a shining large sword, charged forward with a furious roar and slashed aggressively at the tendrils, slicing their ends off with little ease. The pieces of these tendrils fell to the dry ground with soft, gut-wrenching thuds, squealing and withering wildly like pathetic little creatures before rapidly disintegrating into unknown particles.

Then, the swordsman jumped into the air, his or her sword raised, prepared for the final strike of death. The person in dark aura looked up in shock.

**"AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!"** the swordsman screamed.

**"YYYAAARRRGGGHHH!"** the dark warrior growled savagely, a sword of dark aura materializing in his or her hand. He or she raised this sword in preparation.

Both swords collided, setting off a massive explosion that was felt for miles.

* * *

_**Ever since the conception of Arceus, there was Aura. It is not known how it was created, only that it was, and is, responsible for sustaining the life of the almighty Arceus, and therefore, every object in the Universe that Arceus would go on to create, both animate and inanimate.**_

_**There are four distinct types of Aura in the Universe.**_

_**The first and most basic type is simply called Aura. There is a final total of sixteen different forms of Aura. First and foremost, there is the most basic form, Normal. **__**Next are the Five Elements that make up Life itself: Water, Grass, Ground, Electric, and Dragon. Then, there are the Anti-Elements that represent Death: Fire, Poison, and Bug. There are the Earth Elements that represent the world we live on: Rock, Ice, and Steel. And last, but certainly not least, there are the Mind Elements that have jurisdiction over the state of mind: Psychic, Flying, Ghost, and Fighting.**_

_**The second type is Fairy Aura. It was the Aura used by Arceus to create the Universe, and it binds all of the other types of Auras together. Its power is unique from basic Aura in the sense that it can rejuvenate and even resurrect living beings. It is said that as long as there is positive emotions like joy and prosperity holding reign of the Universe, Fairy Aura will continue to sustain its very structure.**_

_**The third and most infamous type is Dark Aura. The antithesis to Fairy Aura, it is said to represent negative emotions in the Universe such as evil and sin. Should such negative emotions take their toll on the Universe, Dark Aura will usurp Fairy Aura and drive the Universe into utter chaos.**_

_**The fourth and rarest type is called Aura Breaker. A mere hypothesis, it is said that Aura Breaker is the force that maintains the balance between the powers of Fairy Aura and Dark Aura. Unlike the previous three types of Aura, Aura Breaker has yet to be seen or demonstrated.**_

_**Together, these four types of Aura make up the Universe itself, and bring life and sustenance to it.**_

_**But the time will come when the balance between the four Aura types is disrupted, and chaos takes full reign of the Universe...**_

* * *

**The Battle Pyramid  
Near Snowpoint Temple, Sinnoh  
Present day  
**

"Say 'Mommy'! _Mom-me_."

"Dad-deh."

Maria frowned in disappointment as she stared deeply into the bright-blue eyes of her infant daughter. It had been the fourteenth time she tried to get her to say the exact word she wanted, only to for the response to be that one word, over and over again. Then, she heard the familiar noise of loud, hearty laughter, and she forced a tiny smile on her face as her husband entered the room, accompanied by a younger man who was their good friend.

"Ah, it seems like little Emilia has herself a favorite parent, huh?!" Brandon exclaimed loudly as he picked up the infant from her chair and raised her high in the air.

"Daddy!" the baby chirped, giggling with glee.

"That's right, Emilia!" replied Brandon, smiling with pride. "Dad-dee."

"Daddy! Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!"

Brandon continued laughing along with Emilia. Meanwhile, the younger man who was accompanying Brandon approached Maria's side.

"She still knows that one word only?" Samuel whispered, catching the woman's attention.

"Yeah," replied Maria sadly. "It's all little Emilia ever says. No matter how hard I try, it's always just 'Daddy'." Then, she forced another tiny smile on her face. "But as long as she's capable of speaking, then it means there's progress ahead for her vocabulary skills. Anyway, enough about Emilia speaking. You got the food I asked?"

"All the way down to Emilia's favorite baby food." Samuel handed Maria the plastic bag of food and drinks. "So, how are you doing, Maria?"

"I'm doing fine, Samuel, thank you for asking. Why do you ask?"

"I heard from Brandon Emilia kept you up all night."

Maria sighed and shrugged dismissively. "One of the downsides to being the new parent of a firstborn, unfortunately. But I shall live." She looked up at her husband's assistant and smiled, more widely and optimistically this time. "Thank you for the concern, Samuel. It really means a lot to me."

"You're welcome," replied Samuel, returning the woman's smile.

Then, Brandon piped, "Hey, Samuel?"

The assistant looked at the former Pyramid King. "Uh, yes Brandon? Something wrong?"

"Uh, I think I left another bag in the jeep. Would you mind getting it for me? I'm gonna start packing the food."

"I thought I was gonna pack the fo-"

"Well," Brandon interrupted, almost harshly, "I volunteer to do it for you now, so can you go get the spare bag, please?"

Samuel blinked, confused by his boss's sudden new order, but he knew he was being paid to help Brandon with his duties without questioning him. So, he did nothing but nod loyally. He then nodded briefly at Maria before leaving the room. Once he was out of earshot, Brandon placed Emilia back in her chair and looked at Maria.

"What was that?" he asked.

"What was what, my dear?" replied Maria, refusing to look at him as she approached Emilia's chair to feed her.

"Your little friendly exchange with Samuel."

"He's our friend, Brandon." She looked at her husband boldly. "Of course I have to be friendly with him."

"Well, that sure didn't look friendly. It looked like _more_ than that..."

Maria blushed slightly, but made sure Brandon didn't notice. "What in Arceus's name are you even talking about, Brandon? I think you have misinterpreted things-"

"You talk to Samuel more than you talk to me. Every time you tell someone a personal secret or a problem you have, you always make Samuel your confidant. When we all took Emilia to Snowpoint City, you stuck beside Samuel the entire time." Brandon's eyes narrowed. "And last Christmas...you tried to get him to kiss you under the mistletoe." His assumptions were confirmed the moment Maria's blush intensified. "Did you think I wouldn't notice, Maria?"

"I-I...I..." Maria stuttered. Then, she sighed calmly and said, "He's just a good friend, Brandon, and nothing more-"

"If that is so," interrupted Brandon angrily, "then why do you seem to prioritize him over me? Do you not see me as a worthy husband to you?"

"I've always thought of you as a worthy husband, Brandon. Don't shoot yourself down-"

"Then why all the interaction with Samuel, then? Huh?! If you were really dissatisfied with our marriage, then why not tell me?!"

"Because you're never there whenever I need to tell you!" shouted Maria abruptly. "You're never there!"

Brandon's eyes widened, and he snarled, "Of course I'm there for you, Maria-"

"No, no you're NOT! You're always out researching the Snowpoint Temple or any other Sinnoh ruins and artifacts! I'm always lonely!"

"And Samuel always comes with me during my research-"

"But _he_ has the time to listen! He has all the time in the world to listen! After all, he's just your assistant! You're the actual researcher! You're always either cooped up in your office or outside in some unknown territory while I'm left with Emilia! Samuel has more spare time on his hands, so I-I talk to him more about my problems."

"And you tell him not to tell me, isn't that right?"

Maria crossed her arms and looked away. "It's not like you'd ever understand the actual context of my feelings."

"AND WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!"

Upon hearing her father's angry shouting, Emilia burst out crying, causing Maria to gasp in concern. She picked her daughter up from her chair and cradled her in her arms, slightly swaying them and humming softly to the infant. Brandon, in the meantime, realized what he had done and went silent. Watching as Maria continued to soothe their daughter, he frowned in disappointment and left the room, his loud footsteps booming across the room.

* * *

Outside the Battle Pyramid, Samuel trudged through the thick, knee-high snow, towards the jeep he and Brandon used to go to and from Snowpoint City.

As he did, he began to think about his previous conversation with Maria. Samuel couldn't help but feel sorry for her. After all, being kept up at night by Emilia's needs for her mother was just the latest thing to upset the woman. He knew all about the deteriorating marriage between her and his boss...

...And also how much she really, _really_ liked him, despite her poor attempts at hiding it...

To be honest, Samuel _reciprocated_ those feelings. Ever since he first met Maria, he had feelings for her, and when he realized she was returning those feelings...well, who couldn't be a happier guy than him? However, he was a moralistic person, above all else. If he wanted to make a move, Samuel knew he'd have to wait until she divorced Brandon. Of course he could convince her to do that, but he didn't want to brew any further conflict between him and Brandon, his employer and friend. For now, he knew he needed to let Maria make those decisions for herself, while he would have to continue pretending to be blissfully unaware, oblivious to her feelings...

After finally approaching the jeep, Samuel opened up the trunk. However, before he could look inside to see if there was any additional bags inside, he felt something hard hit him in the back of the head, forcing him down on the snow. The last thing he felt was a chilly, icy feeling on his cheek, right before he passed out...

* * *

"It's not like you'd ever understand the actual context of my feelings. ...The hell is THAT supposed to mean?!"

Brandon stepped out of his office, having just finished making a couple of phone calls to his usual contacts as well as writing up his daily reports on his recent findings at the Snowpoint Temple. Now, it was time for lunch, something he was no longer looking forward to, now that _she_ would be there. With _him_.

"Damn it," he muttered. "Damn it all. Nothing's going my way today... Nothing... My wife doesn't trust me, my trusted assistant's a home-wrecker... Damn it!"

It did not take the former Pyramid King long to enter the kitchen...where he saw a startling sight. Maria and Samuel were both tied up, while Emilia was being held by a large, muscular man. Several other men were menacingly standing behind Maria and Samuel, and there were a pack of Houndoom and Mightyena facing Brandon. A man stood in front of his companions, a smirk etched on his face. Judging by his more menacing choice of clothing, Brandon assumed this person was their leader.

"Brandon!" Maria cried.

"Maria!" shouted Brandon. He tried to pull out a Poké Ball, but the Houndoom in front of his wife growled angrily at him, stopping him in his tracks.

The leader tutted and stepped forward. "Now, now, Pyramid King Brandon," he said, "surely you should've known that resistance would be futile already?!"

"Who the hell are you?" the former Pyramid King snarled.

"Name's Alastair. These people here are my friends. And believe me, Brandon, they aren't as nice and gentle as I am." As if on cue, the man holding Emilia tightened his grip on the baby, causing her to start crying. "Well then, now that we've got your attention, I believe you have something that we desperately want."

Brandon's eyes narrowed angrily. "I'm afraid I'll have to-"

"Turn down the offer?" completed Alastair. "I had a feeling you'd say that. Fortunately for us at the Syndicate, we have contingency plans for your worthless cliches..."

One of the men roughly forced Maria down to the ground, to which two Houndoom approached her, growling viciously. Flames were appearing on their glinting fangs, and her eyes widened in fear. She tried to struggle against her bonds, but the rope stubbornly refused to break despite her efforts.

"And fortunately for our Houndoom," the black-haired villain continued, "they have a nice little lunch to scarf down on. See, we forgot to give 'em their well-deserved breakfast. It was bedlam, trying to maintain their focus and cooperation as we made our way here. But I guess they can wait a little longer if-"

"Okay, okay!" Brandon shouted, feeling his soul crumble to the pressure. "I'll...I'll _do_ it." He bowed his head in shame. "I'll give you what you want."

"NO, BRANDON!" screamed Maria. "Don't do this! Don't give them Regigigas!"

However, Alastair's smirk widened. "Now _that's_ a good Pyramid King."

"_Former_ Pyramid King," spat the stern man. He looked up at Alastair and stared him down with furious eyes. "But I must warn you, disturbing Regigigas's sleep will-"

"-Provoke disastrous consequences?" completed Alastair. He then tutted again. "My dear, dear Brandon. What did I say about us? We're well-prepared for this..."

"That's what they all say! But once you disturb the Lord of the Land, the anger he will unleash will be unstoppable and uncontrollable! None of your contingency plans will provide any of the necessary preparations you expected for what is to come! I beg of you and your allies, please think about what you are about to do!"

"Your concern is heartfelt, Pyramid King." However, Alastair's malevolent smirk remained in place. "It's a good thing we have _another_ Lord of the Land on our side."

"WHAT?!" Brandon and Maria cried at the same time.

* * *

**Snowpoint Temple  
Almost an hour later**

"ONWARD, NOW!" Alastair ordered.

The group walked through the dark tunnel without a single word, aside from Alastair's occasional barking. Brandon led the way, being the only captive who wasn't tied up, while Maria and Samuel were surrounded by six grunts. As for Emilia, she was still being held by the muscular man, who had managed to placate her sobbing. On occasion, Brandon or Maria would cast fleeting glances at their infant daughter, their hearts heavy with concern for her.

After almost an hour of exhaustive walking, they entered a lonely chamber, with walls of rock surrounding all sides. At the dead center of this chamber was a platform of metal, displaying three pillars that stood tall at the center of it. One was made of rock, the second was made from ice, and the third was made out of metal.

"Ah, yes," whispered Alastair, smiling. "There it is. The pillars protecting the Colossal Pokémon, Regigigas."

"Oh, the boss will be _very_ pleased!" a female grunt standing beside Maria exclaimed. She was a woman with short orange hair and red eyes.

"Indeed, Aliana..."

Alastair walked forward, grabbing Brandon's shirt so he could come along with him. The two men stepped on the platform, where they were greeted by a shining slab of marble sticking out between the rock and steel pillars. Alastair released his grip on Brandon and began reading the engraving on the marble slab.

_A body of rock._  
_A body of ice._  
_A body of steel._  
_When gather those three together,_  
_the king will appear._

"That's cute. Now then..." The Syndicate lieutenant turned towards Brandon. "Brandon, if you may please?"

"I am _warning_ you-"

"I believe you are no longer in a position to make warnings or threats. Last time I checked, _we_ were the ones in control, not you. Now do as we tell you to do, without causing any further delay or trouble for us, or I'll have the Houndoom enjoy your lovely wife and daughter for breakfast."

The Houndoom all barked, as if emphasizing the threat. Sweat appeared on Brandon's forehead as he glanced at the grunts, then Maria, Emilia, and Samuel. He could not believe just an hour ago, he was having an argument with his wife about Samuel, which upset Emilia. He had hurt all of them somehow, and now, he did not even have a chance to properly apologize... At least, not if he did what Alastair ordered him to do, which would jeopardize the lives of everyone in Snowpoint City...

Brandon couldn't believe what was happening. He was choosing between his family and his commitment! Never before had he experienced anything like this...

"Last chance, Pyramid King Brandon," snapped Alastair, bringing the former Pyramid King back to his senses.

"Fine, fine, FINE!" Brandon roared. "I'll...I'll do it."

**"NO!"** Maria and Samuel cried.

However, the former Frontier Brain ignored their shouts of protest and took out three Poké Balls from his pocket. Taking one last look at them all, he reluctantly threw them into the air without making so much of an opening order. Three beams of light briefly illuminated the chamber, before three golem-like figures appeared in their place: Regirock, the Rock Peak Pokémon; Regice, the Iceberg Pokémon; and lastly, Registeel, the Iron Pokémon.

"Now _that's_ more like it," Alastair said, clasping his hands together in satisfaction.

"Regirock, Regice, Registeel," Brandon said, looking at the three Legendary Pokémon he claimed as his own, "I'm...I'm sorry. Destroy the pillars!"

Three different beeping noises suddenly filled the air. Regirock, Regice, and Registeel were staring at their Trainer, shocked at the command they just received.

"Well, well, well," snarled a male grunt standing behind Samuel, "it looks like Regirock, Regice, and Registeel have something to say about that as well..."

"Such a shame," Alastair said, shaking his head. "And I was hoping for an equal amount of cooperation from your Regis. Guess I'll have to use this..."

He procured a black Poké Ball from his pocket and threw it into the air. Brandon watched as a Shiny Gengar emerged from the device and giggled feverishly.

"What in Arceus's name are you doing?!" the former Pyramid King exclaimed.

"Executing one of our contingency plans, what else?" The black-haired man pointed at all three Regis. "Gengar, use Hypnosis!"

Gengar giggled as its body began to glow light-blue, and it waved its arms in strange patterns. At first, the Regis seemed unaffected by the apparently harmless move but soon, their eyes were following the Shadow Pokémon's arm movements, almost magnetized. Brandon watched in horror as the Regis slumped slightly, apparently drowsy. Alastair, meanwhile, chuckled triumphantly as he approached the three golem-like Pokémon and patted them, one by one.

"Now, use your best attacks to bring down those pillars, please," he ordered.

The Regis nodded at once and aimed their arms towards the pillars. Seconds later, three Hyper Beams shot through the air and penetrated one pillar each, destroying it in a matter of split-seconds. Everyone except Alastair and Gengar shielded themselves from the downpour of pebbles, ice shards, and pieces of metal.

Upon noticing the grunts all flinching, with pieces of the pillars still flying, Brandon seized this opportunity to run up to the man holding his daughter and punch him in the face. He fell to the ground unconscious, dropping Emilia, but Brandon managed to catch her just in the nick of time. Then, he sprinted towards Maria, grabbed her hand, and began running with her down the tunnel. Samuel realized what Brandon was doing and closely followed the family of three.

"Why did you do that, Brandon?!" shouted Maria hysterically. "Do you realize what you have _done_?!"

"Yes," Brandon replied gravely as he continued running. "We can only pray Regigigas snaps Regirock, Regice, and Registeel back to their senses and the four of them can use their combined powers to defeat those criminals before they do what they can do to them! For now, we must continue running!"

* * *

"Sir! Brandon and the other hostages have gotten away!"

Upon hearing Aliana's cry of warning, Alastair smirked. "It doesn't matter anymore," he replied as a billowing cloud of smoke enveloped the entire chamber, obscuring everyone's eyesight. "After all..." He gazed directly at the ruins of the three fallen pillars. "We have _exactly_ what we want."

Seconds later, the ground began to rumble, and everyone but Alastair fell to the ground. The Syndicate lieutenant kept his ground as he watched a bright blue light of unknown power emerge from the center of where the three pillars once stood. He chuckled as he watched a colossal mass of white, black, and gold rise from below...

* * *

Just as they left Snowpoint Temple, Brandon, Maria, and Samuel felt the ground shaking beneath them. Upon feeling it, Maria and Samuel stopped in their tracks.

"Why'd you two stop?!" Brandon shouted as he felt his wife stopping. "We cannot stop! We must flee to the Battle Pyramid-"

"B-But..._Regigigas_..." whispered Maria, looking back at the temple entrance. "We can't just leave it behind like this, Brandon..."

"Regigigas is too powerful for those criminals to possibly handle. Do not worry, my dear, they will be taught a lesson by it."

As if on cue, a bloodcurdling scream echoed through the hallway and out of the temple entrance. Brandon, Maria, and Samuel watched on as Alastair, Aliana, and the other grunts ran as fast as they could out of Snowpoint Temple. Several explosions could be easily heard, and the ground began to tremble even more. Once Alastair desperately sprinted out of the temple, Brandon made no effort to hold back a triumphant smirk as the Syndicate lieutenant caught up to him.

"What have I told you?!" he snapped. "Regigigas was too powerful for the likes of you! And you actually thought you could _control_ it?!"

To his surprise (and horror), Alastair smiled and replied, "Yes, yes we did think we could control it." He then snapped his fingers. "And believe me, we still can."

A strange mechanical humming noise suddenly filled the air. Brandon, Maria, and Samuel looked up and watched as a flight device, shaped like a skateboard, flew into the fray, circling directly above them as the sounds of explosions grew dangerously closer, the trembling of the ground growing more severe by the minute. The three noticed someone riding atop this device, apparently attached to it in some way since the person performed upside-down maneuvers without falling off.

After several minutes, the Snowpoint Temple entrance exploded in a shower of snow and rubble. Storming out of the ruins were...

"Regirock!" Brandon cried.

"Regice!" Maria shouted.

"Registeel!" Samuel exclaimed.

"Regigigas!" announced Alastair gleefully. "It's time for you and your inferiors to come with us!"

All four Regis stared at Alastair and his accomplices. They aimed their arms at them and prepared to fire Hyper Beams, but they all stood their ground.

"GIVE IT UP, NOW!" Brandon roared with all of his might. "WHILE YOU STILL HAVE THE CHANCE!"

"And why should we, my dear Brandon?" The black-haired man turned his head towards the former Frontier Brain. "The fun's just beginning!"

He snapped his fingers again, and the person riding the unknown flight device abruptly swooped down towards Regigigas, Regirock, Regice, and Registeel. Before any of them knew it, they were being bombarded by small but highly explosive grenades, which engulfed them in bright and fiery explosions.

**"NO!"** Brandon, Maria, and Samuel all roared.

To their relief, four Hyper Beams fired through the cloud of dark smoke and nearly hit the glider. However, he managed to outmaneuver their attacks with ease.

"REGIROCK, REGICE, REGISTEEL!" called Brandon. "PROTECT REGIGIGAS WITH ALL OF YOUR MIGHT!"

Regirock, Regice, and Registeel nodded simultaneously before firing Stone Edge, Ice Beam, and Flash Cannon, respectively. Though the person on the glider was able to dodge the first two attacks, the glider's wing was hit by the Flash Cannon, causing it to sputter and spin across the air, completely out of control. However, the flier was somehow able to automatically eject himself from the glider and fell dozens of feet down to the snowy ground below. However, before he could make impact, the person abruptly pulled an unidentified object out from his vest, which unfolded into a second skateboard-shaped flight device, which was perfectly functional.

"What the?!" exclaimed Samuel as the person flew right above his head.

"Orlando, stop fooling around!" called Alastair. "Call it out! We don't have anymore time for this!"

"With pleasure!" replied the man on the glider in a young voice. Seconds later, he stopped in midair, right above the four Regis as they aimed Hyper Beams at him.

"Call it out..." Brandon whispered to himself. "...Call _what_ out?..."

Then, he, Maria, and Samuel watched as Orlando reached into his pocket and pulled out yet another unknown object. Squinting his eyes at it, Brandon realized that it was some sort of crimson sphere. Closing his eyes, Orlando raised this sphere high into the air, just as it suddenly began to glow, bathing the entire scene in red light.

"By the power of this almighty Red Orb, unmatched by all but one," Orlando announced at the top of his lungs, "I call for you, Lord of the Land, creator of the earth I stand upon! Hear my summons, and listen to my reasons! Your fearsome powers of expanding the landmasses are needed to defy this menace that threatens us! So, as I pray, come forth, Groudon the almighty, and bear us desolate lands!" He opened his eyes, as the red light grew brighter. **"GO!"**

A tremendous roar, unlike any other, sounded across the area; it was so powerful that the earth began to shake and many loose objects fell over. Brandon, Maria, and Samuel cried out in agony, while Emilia wailed at all of the external disturbances around her. Alastair began to cackle with triumph while the other grunts smirked and held their ground. Unable to bear this any longer, Brandon stared at Regigigas, Regirock, Regice, and Registeel, who were still aiming their Hyper Beams.

**"NOW, ALL OF YOU!"** he screeched over the loud, unknown roar. **"GIVE IT ALL YOU'VE GOT, AND DON'T HOLD BACK!"**

All four Regis fired their Hyper Beams at Orlando's direction...only to instead hit a gargantuan red foot that materialized between them. The roar suddenly stopped.

Brandon, Maria, and Samuel all gasped as they looked up at the gargantuan being that was before them. Alastair, Orlando, and the other grunts all smiled.

"No..." Brandon moaned. "_No_... It can't be..."

Alastair's smile widened. "Just like a wise man once said," he replied, "there's _always_ a higher power."

* * *

**Snowpoint City**

The snowy streets of Snowpoint City were bustling, like any other day. Pedestrians walked down the sidewalks, dressed in thick snow-wear and easily taking shelter in any possible sources of warmth. In one of the many active sidewalks, a group of people was strolling down towards the direction of the local Trainers' School, led by a pair of older men. One was wearing glasses and a gray suit and had brown hair and a mustache, while the other was a bit younger with a stocky build and brown hair.

"It's good to have you as a substitute teacher, Jeremiah," one of the men said. "I can see why Candice always thought so highly of you as a student."

"My pleasure, Mr. Honcho," replied the second man. "Anything for Candice while she's away from Snowpoint City."

"So, how's life in Jubilife City, if I may ask?"

"Lively, as always." Jeremiah chuckled at the pun he unintentionally made. "You know, it's certainly warmer there than here, I'll tell ya. No offense."

"None taken. Well, they do not call this place Snowpoint City for nothing. It's been snowing here since the lands of Sinnoh were first formed. I doubt this cold weather would change up anytime soon." The teacher then suddenly started fanning himself with his hand. "Phew! Do you feel that rising heat?"

"Yeah, it's getting pretty hot out here..." Jeremiah also began fanning himself, and he even took off his thick jacket as he began sweating profusely. As he removed it, he noticed everyone else on the sidewalks removing their snow-wear, their foreheads glistening with beads of sweat.

"What in Arceus's name is going on with all this weather?" Honcho asked, looking up at the sky. He immediately noticed the clouds in the sky receding at unnaturally high speeds, bathing all of Snowpoint City in rays of harsh, bright sunlight. "What...What in Arceus's _name_?... Those clouds just-"

"Mr. Honcho!" a younger student, a little girl, suddenly interrupted.

"Now what seems to be the problem, youngster?" Honcho replied politely, sweating.

"Why is there a flood coming towards us?"

Honcho and Jeremiah blinked, shocked at the girl's strange question. Then, they suddenly noticed the other students staring at the faraway Trainers' School. Following their gazes, they watched in horror as a massive torrent of water, as high as a three-story building, destroyed the entire school and was now headed their way.

"KIDS, RUN!" Jeremiah screamed.

Everyone burst into a mad sprint in the opposite direction, running as fast as they possibly could away from the abrupt flood. Numerous other civilians joined them in the sprint to safety. However, when it became clear the flood would catch up with all of them, having already swept away dozens of innocent people, Jeremiah and Mr. Honcho quickly redirected their students inside the closest multistory building they could find: the local Snowpoint Hotel.

"Inside the hotel, everyone, inside!" Honcho ordered as he held the entrance door open for everyone else. "HURRY!"

"I'm so scared, Mr. Honcho, so SCARED!" a teenage boy cried as he went in. "Oh Arceus, I don't wanna DIE!"

"You're NOT gonna die!" cried Jeremiah as he ushered the boy and several others inside. "Just get in, get in!" Then, he looked behind him and saw the flood just feet away. "Alright, come on, come on! Inside, everyone!" After forcing the last of the students inside, he shouted before closing the doors, "TOP FLOOR, TOP FLOOR!"

Everyone immediately dashed for the nearest staircase, while Jeremiah looked behind him. He could see the water flowing through the doors' glass panels, along with numerous objects and...the lifeless bodies of civilians... Then, his eyes widened as he watched the cracks forming on the glass...

"JEREMIAH!" Honcho shouted.

Seconds later, the glass shattered, causing water to begin pouring into the hotel.

Meanwhile, on the rooftop of Snowpoint Hotel, the Trainers' School students, along with dozens of other Snowpoint City residents, gathered together in a large crowd. They all peered over the safety of the rooftop and watched as the water flowed down the streets of their beloved city, engulfing anything in sight. They all next looked up, staring at the rooftops of other buildings fortunate enough to not get completely engulfed by the flood, where there were other survivors crowded.

"Oh my Arceus..." a man groaned in horror. "Oh my _Arceus_..."

"What in Arceus's name?..." asked an older woman, her hands over her mouth in complete disbelief.

As everyone else continued watching as the flood ravaged aggressively down the streets, Jeremiah and Honcho stumbled on the rooftop from the access door. Both of them were soaking wet, their eyes red. Two men spotted them and immediately attended to them, while several Trainers' School students ran up to them in concern.

"Jeremiah, Mr. Honcho!" an older male student cried. "Are you both okay?!"

"Well," replied Jeremiah, panting with exhaustion, "considering we were nearly swept away by that flood, yeah. Yeah, we're fine..."

"My Arceus..."

"Where in the world did that flood _come_ from?!" cried the man holding Honcho. "It's not even this sunny in Snowpoint City during this time of the year!"

"Oh my Arceus," moaned a student in response. "Look at the mountains! Guys, look at the mountains!"

Everyone on the rooftop looked at the mountains, expecting to see an expansive blanket of snow covering it. Instead, they were greeted by unnaturally exposed rock, and rows and rows of skeletons of trees, stripped of the snow that otherwise would have usually covered them. The floods seemed to be flowing in the direction away from those once-snowy mountains. This, coupled with the strange, harsh sunlight... Jeremiah's eyes widened as he put two and two together.

"This isn't just some out-of-the-blue change in weather pattern!" he cried, catching the attention of his students.

"What is, Jeremiah?" asked some of the students at once.

"Snowpoint City never gets hot, not even so hot that it'd cause a flood like this! Something must've happened, something that disturbed the weather so much..."

"But what exactly caused that change?" asked Honcho. "I can't think of anything in the Sinnoh region that would cause any of this-"

He was suddenly cut off when a massive explosion rocked the rooftop of a building near theirs. Everyone screamed and flinched, watching as the whole roof exploded into millions of tiny pieces, sending everyone on it all over the walls of other buildings and into the floods. One woman on Jeremiah's rooftop fainted immediately.

"WHAT IN ARCEUS'S NAME?!" Honcho shouted.

Then, everyone watched as an unknown mass rose weakly from the wreckage of the rooftop. Jeremiah's eyes widened again upon recognizing what it was.

"R-Re-Regigigas?..."

A Hyper Beam abruptly flew across the air, followed by an explosion in the distance. Everyone turned their heads towards an unoccupied building, where they saw the familiar forms of Regice and Registeel. Both of their bodies were dripping wet, with Regice looking significantly weakened.

"Regigigas, Regice, and Registeel?" asked Honcho. "What're _they_ doing here?..."

"Maybe _that_ answers your question, Mr. Honcho..." a student replied, pointing at the opposite direction.

Jeremiah, Honcho, and the others followed his gaze, just as a shadow enveloped them all.

Their eyes widened in horror at what they instantly saw. A gargantuan, bipedal red Pokémon, sporting golden stripe-like markings all over its body and clawed hands, was walking across the rushing flood, which to it must've been just a mere flowing creek. A low but menacing growl was filling the air.

"It...It _can't_ be..." Jeremiah moaned, recognizing the Pokémon. "It's...It's _impossible_!"

Just as he said it, Groudon, in its Primal Form, let out an earsplitting roar that caused any surviving windows in the city to exploded into millions of shards.

Split-seconds later, an unknown mass landed on the rooftop directly next to Jeremiah's, sending pieces of wood and concrete up into the air and back down. Everyone let out bloodcurdling screams of terror as Regirock fired a Hyper Beam at Groudon, which hit its hip and exploded violently, but failed to do any sort of visible damage to it. Regigigas, Regice, and Registeel then fired their own Hyper Beams, which bombarded the Continent Pokémon, but also failed to affect it in any visible way.

Groudon responded by firing a massive Solar Beam, which destroyed numerous buildings in its path and knocked Regigigas back into the city's bell tower. Regice and Registeel retaliated with an Ice Beam and Zap Cannon, respectively, but the Pokémon merely took a step backward upon being hit by both attacks.

Once the smoke from the ensuing large explosion cleared up, Groudon bellowed loudly again and fired a second Solar Beam, which destroyed the building Regice and Registeel were taking cover on. Everyone watched as many of the pieces of the destroyed building collided into other nearby buildings, destroying them as well.

"Oh Arceus, they're battling!" Honcho screamed. "We have to get outta here!"

"But where do we go?!" exclaimed a student. "There's nowhere to go but down, and there's water flooding the floors below!"

Jeremiah looked around, then ran up to one side of the rooftop, where there was a gap between it and the rooftop behind it. Looking down at the alleyway below, he realized that the gap was narrow enough for people to easily cross, although the next roof was taller, with a steep incline to the top.

_"It'll have to do,"_ he thought. Then, he looked at the others and shouted, "Everyone, we can cross this gap to the next rooftop! We're gonna have to climb that roof!"

"ARE YOU **NUTS**?!" a man cried.

"We can't possibly _cross_ that!" shouted a woman.

"It's our only chance-" began Jeremiah before his voice was cut off by another of Groudon's roars.

They watched as Regirock fired a Stone Edge attack at its opponent, only to miss and destroy another building. The Continent Pokémon responded by swatting at the building Regirock was standing on, totaling it and sending the Rock Peak Pokémon down into the ravaging flood below. Jeremiah gasped and looked at the others.

"You wanna join Regirock, be my guest!" he snapped. "But I do _not_ plan on dying today, and certainly not in the middle of a battle between Legendary Pokémon!" The substitute teacher and Jubilife City native stepped across the gap without any difficult whatsoever. "If there's anyone who agrees, follow me!"

As soon as Groudon roared and fired a Fire Blast attack at Regigigas, obliterating the bell tower it was embedded into, no one in Jeremiah's group wasted any time in following him across the gap. Jeremiah and a few others stayed behind to help anyone having trouble stepping across the gap, while everyone else, including Honcho, climbed up the steep roof. Some nearly tripped and fell down due to the roof tiles sticking out, and Honcho had to hold onto the hand of a struggling young girl.

Once everyone had stepped across the gap between the rooftops, Jeremiah guided them up the second roof. Simultaneously, Groudon continued firing a multitude of attacks at Regice and Registeel while being barely affected by their own retaliatory attacks. All the while, Jeremiah watched in a mixture of awe and horror.

By the time everyone had reached the top of the second roof, Groudon fired a Fire Blast at Regice, knocking it into another building and knocking it out in an instant. The Continent Pokémon raised its head and let out a roar of triumph, just as Regigigas leaped into the air, having recovered from the previous attack on it and taking advantage of Groudon's distraction. It landed on the back of Groudon's neck and fired a powerful Hyper Beam into it, triggering a large explosion.

Groudon roared in pain as it stumbled to the side. Jeremiah, Honcho, and everyone else in their group screamed as they watched the Continent Pokémon completely destroy the building they were previously standing on by trudging straight through it, before collapsing on dozens of other buildings, crushing them.

* * *

**In the skies of Snowpoint City**

The large, futuristic transport jet hovered above what remained of the flooded Snowpoint City, unseen by the naked eye due to a cloaking device. Inside were Alastair, Orlando, Aliana, and their grunts, all of whom were looking down curiously upon the scene in heightening anticipation. Also inside were the restrained Brandon, Maria, Samuel, and Emilia, the former three looking completely horrified at the destruction they had just contributed to causing, especially Brandon.

"What in the world's going on, Orlando?!" Alastair snapped. "Why'd Groudon fall over like that?!"

"Regigigas must've found a weak spot," replied Orlando. "Also, considering the fact that it's fighting while standing in water created by the melted snow, this might've put Groudon at a further disadvantage, even if it was being supported by the harsh sunlight its Desolate Land ability brought upon."

"Damn it. Arceus-damn it." The Syndicate lieutenant glared at his inferior. "We've underestimated the Regis' powers. Have Groudon use its last resort. NOW."

"Yes, sir." Orlando then raised the Red Orb into the air. "Almighty Groudon, I beg of you, use-"

* * *

**Snowpoint City**

"Is it...is it _dead_?..."

"I don't know. No one go near the edge. We cannot risk anything happening!"

The survivors nodded at Jeremiah's order. Currently, they were all staring upon the fallen mass that was Groudon's body. It was so large that the rushing waters were welling up against its body, which was beginning to serve as a makeshift dam. Jeremiah and Honcho looked away from the piles of human bodies they were seeing...

Their sights were then diverted to Regigigas and Registeel, who were approaching Groudon's fallen body cautiously. Regigigas aimed its arms at Groudon, the sphere of a Hyper Beam forming between its hands. It was apparently intending to hit Groudon with another Hyper Beam to ensure it was truly down for the count.

However, before Regigigas could fire the Hyper Beam, Groudon opened one eye and gave the Colossal Pokémon a death stare. The eye began to glow a bright golden color, as did its stripes. Seconds later, an incandescent bladed stone shot up from the ground beneath Regigigas, striking the Colossal Pokémon and sending it up into the air. Simultaneously, Regigigas fired its Hyper Beam accidentally, which struck another building standing nearby and destroying it.

Registeel fired a Zap Cannon at Groudon, but another bladed stone sprung up between them and completely withstood the Steel-type attack. Split-seconds later, yet another bladed stone shot up from beneath Registeel, knocking it up into the air, just as it did with Regigigas. Groudon then roared and fired a Fire Blast into the Iron Pokémon before it could retaliate with a Hyper Beam. Registeel made one last beeping noise before colliding with the earth, swiftly defeated.

Meanwhile, Regigigas managed to latch itself onto the first bladed stone, then fired a Hyper Beam at Groudon as it stood up. The attack hit the Continent Pokémon in the cheek, causing it to turn its head in the Colossal Pokémon's direction. It roared so loudly at its opponent that the force of its breath forced it off the stone.

Regigigas landed on the now-dry walkway and looked up at Groudon as it finished standing up. Then, it looked straight ahead, realizing that by standing up, Groudon had allowed the water that welled up against it to be unleashed down the walkway again. Before it had time to react, the Colossal Pokémon was swept away.

Watching as its opponent was swept further down the walkway with the ravaging water, Groudon let out a massive roar of triumph before its eyes and stripes glowed again. Further down said walkway, a single row of bladed stones shot up from under the ground, which sent Regigigas flying into the air again. The Colossal Pokémon then fired yet another Solar Beam, which struck Regigigas and sent into flying through several buildings, causing them to collapse in the process.

"My Arceus!" Honcho exclaimed in horror. "Oh, my dear _Arceus_!"

A powerful Hyper Beam suddenly exploded through the wreckage from which Regigigas lay and struck Groudon right in the head. Violently jerking its head backward, the Continent Pokémon let out a loud roar of frustration before firing a massive Solar Beam into the wreckage, resulting in a bright and fiery explosion. The explosion was so powerful that it knocked Jeremiah, Honcho, and the rest of their group down on the floor. Groudon roared again and fired a second Solar Beam.

* * *

**In the skies of Snowpoint City**

"Sir," a Syndicate grunt announced, catching the attention of Alastair, "the life-signals of Regigigas, Regirock, Regice, and Registeel have all fallen to the lowest levels possible. They're primed and ready for capture." He looked up at his superior commander. "Just give the order, sir."

Alastair grinned. "Do it."

**"NO!"** Brandon, Maria, and Samuel roared at once, but it didn't stop the grunt from pressing a large red button on the dashboard of the aerial vehicle.

"Oh, yes..." replied Alastair. He looked at Orlando, looking particularly proud. "You did well, Orlando. You and your Groudon."

"Thank you, Alastair sir," the young man said, nodding his head once.

* * *

**Snowpoint City**

"What's that?!" screamed a woman as she pointed up to the sky.

Everyone followed the direction of her finger and instantly spotted the four large, black Poké Ball-like objects materializing in the middle of the air. These devices then hovered automatically towards certain areas of Snowpoint City, where Jeremiah and Honcho assumed were the lying places of all four defeated Regis. Indeed, all four devices opened up with mechanical hums, and purple beams of energy seemed to be shooting out of the wreckage into said devices. Upon absorbing all of the energy needed, the unknown Poké Balls closed themselves and began to hover high into the air before suddenly disappearing.

"What in Arceus's name was _that_?..." Honcho asked.

"Beats me," replied Jeremiah, "but I can tell that was _not_ good..." His eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Not good at all..."

* * *

**In the skies of Snowpoint City**

"All four Regis retrieved, sir," the grunt announced. "And we have just retrieved the Syndicate Balls."

"Excellent," replied Alastair. "Now then, let's make our leave. Our work is done here."

"But sir," Aliana piped suddenly, "what about the survivors? There are still people taking shelter on the rooftops."

"You remember the Benefactor's order. No survivors." The Syndicate lieutenant looked at Orlando. "You know what to do, Orlando."

"Yes, Alastair sir," replied Orlando.

Brandon, Maria, and Samuel could only watch on helplessly, realizing there was nothing more they could do.

* * *

**Snowpoint City**

Jeremiah's group was immediately attracted to Groudon the moment it let out another loud, earthshaking bellow.

"Oh, what now?..." Honcho asked fearfully.

However, everyone realized that the earth was still shaking, even after Groudon had stopped roaring. Jeremiah, Honcho, and several others peered across the rooftop and saw, to their horror, the entire _ground_ beneath Snowpoint City collapsing into the earth, taking with it all of the buildings and any other objects in its vicinity.

"Oh my Arceus..." moaned Jeremiah. "Oh my Arceus! OH MY ARCEUS!"

* * *

**In the skies of Snowpoint City**

Everyone aboard the Syndicate transport jet watched without saying a word as all of Snowpoint City disappeared beneath the earth, with the exception of the ground underneath Groudon. Once Snowpoint City was entirely gone, the Continent Pokémon let out an extremely loud roar of triumph, possibly its loudest roar of the day.

"Well," Alastair said, "that went better than expected. I'd give Groudon a pat on the back if it weren't so big."

Outraged by the lack of reaction from their captors, Maria stood up. "YOU **MONSTER**! YOU SADISTIC, UNGRATEFUL **MONSTER**!" She twirled around to glare at all of her captors. "ALL OF YOU! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO SO MANY INNOCENTS?! DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU'VE **DONE**?!"

"Yes, I believe we do, Maria," replied Alastair. "And believe me, we have every intention of doing it again if it means getting our objective done."

"And what exactly _is_ your objective?" Samuel snarled. "Destroying the world?"

"Oh no. We're not _that_ heartless. It's more like we're _changing_ the world to suit our needs. See, the Syndicate is very dissatisfied with the current system imposed on this society. There is too much leniency on anything and everything. Social control and enforcement of our laws and regulations is way too relaxed for our liking. And, believe it or not, dear hostages, it is this kind of leniency that can only lead to the downfall of everyone's way of living."

"How exactly does this lead to our downfall?!" demanded Maria.

"Why, rest and relaxation rubs off on people. Everyone becomes too lenient, and that leads to vulnerability to external forces that're beyond our control. By asserting our authority upon the world, the Syndicate hopes to reform the terribly flawed system we have and keep everyone on their hands and toes."

"Assert your authority upon the world? By capturing all of these Legendary Pokémon?"

"Yes. An extreme problem like the one I just described requires extreme countermeasures. And believe me, Maria..." Alastair's grin widened. "We're not done yet."

* * *

**Unknown location**

Mewtwo sat in the vast field of red-and-golden flowers. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was soft and deep. It had been a couple of weeks since her disastrous battle with the unknown Pokémon at the city's shipping dock. Since then, she had been staying in the house of the human family that took her in, recovering from the wounds sustained during the battle. She could've left at any time, but her critical injuries prevented her from doing so...

And besides, the humans that took her in were kind and compassionate, definitely trustworthy. She knew she was safe with them.

During her time with the humans, she was able to learn and memorize all of their names. There were two children, Eva and Tanner, and their mother, April, plus their beloved pet Pokémon Eevee, who were all on vacation. It turned out they were natives of New Tork City, the city where she had a climactic battle with the rampaging Genesect Army. Right now, they were all staying at a cabin owned by the extended family; in a couple of days, they were going to leave for another city.

_**"They are certainly nice humans,"**_ Mewtwo thought. _**"To think, I thought the boy named Ash Ketchum and his friends were the only ones... This family cares about me; I can sense it. I wonder if there are many humans who are as kind and compassionate as them..."**_

"Mewtwo?"

Mewtwo opened her eyes and looked behind her. Standing a yard away from her was April, who was smiling softly.

**"Yes, April?"**

"It's time for lunch. If you mind-"

**"Oh, of course I do not mind. I appreciate your generosity."**

The female Genetic Pokémon followed April inside the cabin, where Eva and Tanner were seated at the kitchen table, eating out of their plates. Eevee was eating from a bowl beside Eva's chair. There was an empty seat reserved for Mewtwo, with a plate of Pokémon food in front of it.

"Hiya, Mewtwo!" Tanner greeted upon noticing Mewtwo step inside the house with his mother. "How was meditation?"

**"It was refreshing,"** Mewtwo replied. **"Thank you, Tanner."**

"Can you _please_ teach me how to meditate?"

"Yeah, me too!" Eva exclaimed. "Please, please, _please_!"

Mewtwo sighed softly. As much as the children were caring and gentle, they were also so energetic and persistent that it was sometimes irritating.

**"No. I do not think the meditation I mention to you children is the same practice you humans undergo. I would rather not risk your lives."**

The children groaned and resumed eating their lunch. As for April, she sat down at the head of the table and began eating as well, all the while looking at Mewtwo.

* * *

**The following night**

By the time night set in, Eva, Tanner, and Eevee were having fun interacting with Mewtwo, who had taken to using her Psychic abilities to entertain the children. Once she finished constructing a city complete with skyscrapers using pieces from the kids' Dego set, Mewtwo watched as April stepped inside the living room.

"Mewtwo," the mother said, "how much longer until you're fully recovered?"

**"Maybe in another week. I was dealt with quite an amount of damage."** Mewtwo ate a handful of Pokémon food before looking at April. **"Why?"**

"Well...the children and I are going to leave the cabin tomorrow...for the airport. Our plane is scheduled to leave on that day, and there isn't another flight headed for our destination after that." She looked down at her plate solemnly. "And I don't think we can be able to take you along on the flight, Mewtwo."

"Awww, come on, Mommy!" Eva cried.

"Yeah!" added Tanner encouragingly. "We can disguise Mewtwo as another Pokémon! No one will ever notice!"

"That's right! We have to keep taking care of Mewtwo! She got so hurt! We can't just leave her behind!"

"Kids, I like Mewtwo as much as you do," April replied, "but we can't take care of her forever. She's not our Pokémon-"

"Then we'll make her our Pokémon!" interrupted Tanner.

"Tanner, even I wanted to make Mewtwo our Pokémon, I don't think _she_ wants to be our Pokémon." She looked at Mewtwo. "Isn't that right, Mewtwo?"

Mewtwo nodded once. **"Yes."** She looked at Eva and Tanner, both of whom looked shocked at her response. **"Do not get me wrong, children. I really appreciate the kindness you have given me during these past couple of weeks. However...I am no one's Pokémon, nor will I ever be... I am one with nature, and nature is one with me. Nothing could possibly change that. Not even the compassion of humans such as yourselves."**

"So," April said, "I take it you're fine without us at this point?"

Mewtwo nodded again in response. **"Yes, April. You may recommit yourselves to your previous schedule."** She examined her body, which sported a number of faded bruises.** "I believe my wounds have healed well enough for me to make my flight. I can leave without any assistance."**

"NO, DON'T LEAVE!" Eva shouted, her eyes flowing with tears.

"YEAH!" Tanner added, also crying. "YOU'RE SO COOL, MEWTWO! DON'T LEAVE!"

Eevee barked in agreement. However, Mewtwo disregarded their pleas, finished her bowl of food, and stood up.

**"I apologize, Eva, Tanner,"** she replied. **"But as comfortable as your care was, I know it'll never be suitable for my needs. I do not belong in a house."**

"Well, you never know!" wailed Tanner. "Home is where the heart is!"

**"No, a heart is located inside your chest, right here."** Mewtwo placed her hand over the central part of her chest. **"A heart cannot be found in a home."**

The boy sniffled and smiled sadly. "I didn't mean it like that, but when you leave, I think you'll know what I mean, Mewtwo. And then you'll wanna come back."

**"I'll believe it when I see it, Tanner."** The Genetic Pokémon approached the doorway before turning around to face the family. **"I believe this is farewell."**

Eva and Tanner immediately ran up to Mewtwo and hugged her legs tightly while Eevee nuzzled its soft head against her foot. Once the two children broke away, April approached Mewtwo as well. At first, she opened her mouth to say something, but closed it, apparently unable to find the right words to say.

Reading her mind, Mewtwo said, **"You wish to bid my farewell as well, right April?"**

April smiled softly in response. "I could never keep a secret from you, huh?" she asked.

**"It's in my nature as a Psychic-type Pokémon. My apologies."**

The mother chuckled hollowly. Then, her eyes widened, and she ran up to a table situated near the fireplace, where a single picture was sitting. Picking up the picture and removing it from the frame, April then approached Mewtwo, took her hand, and stuffed the sheet of paper in it before the Genetic Pokémon could say anything.

**"April?"**

Mewtwo then looked at the photo in her hand. It was of April with a younger Eva and Tanner, who were holding an Egg that belonged to the Eevee species.

"It's just like Eva said last week," replied April. "Everyone deserves a family." She then placed her hands on Mewtwo's fingers and curled them over the photo, so the Genetic Pokémon would hold it. "Keep it, Mewtwo. You don't have a family so..." The mother hesitated, her voice strained. "So this should be close enough for you."

Realizing April was just as heartbroken as Eva and Tanner, Mewtwo kept the photo clenched in her hand. She looked at the mother solemnly.

**"I will. Thank you for the gift."**

Mewtwo then turned around and opened the door leading into the field. She stepped outside, followed by the family. Upon walking into the field of flowers, she began levitating into the air slowly. She flinched a bit after feeling the soft stinging of a bruise on her side, then looked up at the starry sky. It was so peaceful, so tranquil...

Then, she looked back at April, Eva, Tanner, and Eevee, all of whom were looking up at her sadly. They were so kind to her, so passionate and welcoming...

"I'll never forget you, Mewtwo!" shouted Tanner.

"So will I!" Eva cried.

Eevee barked in agreement.

**"Thank you, children,"** replied Mewtwo. **"I will never forget you either. Any of you. I sincerely hope we see each other again."**

"Maybe when you find your own family!" Eva suggested. "Then maybe we can all play!"

_**"Yeah...family..."**_ thought Mewtwo. Then, she said in response, **"I hope so."**

"Mewtwo!" April called. "Please be careful on your journey! There's a lot of danger out there!"

**"I shall be careful, April. Thank you so much for your help. All of you, thank you."**

She turned around, then changed into her other form. However, she didn't race away at high speeds. The family sensed Mewtwo seemed to be thinking of something.

Then, she said, **"You know, this was probably the closest I've ever been to considering something other than the outside..._home_..."**

"Then why don't you stay?!" Eva and Tanner cried.

**"Because...I still need to find it."** Mewtwo looked back at the family with a soft smile. **"Farewell."**

She vanished within split-seconds, racing away at the speed of light. The last remnant of her presence was the rush of wind left in her wake. As soon as the wind was gone, Eva and Tanner both struggled to hold back their tears as they broke away from their mother and ran further down the field, stopping in the middle of it.

**"GOODBYE, MEWTWO!"** they both screamed in tears.

Meanwhile, April watched as the fading beam of blue that was Mewtwo fade away into the night in seconds.

"Goodbye, my dear Mewtwo," she said. "Please be safe and sound..."

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters  
Location unknown**

In the shadowy room located at the top of the Syndicate headquarters, the unknown person sat on his throne, his appearance obscured by the darkness. Standing at his side was Charon and Curtis, the latter of whom was holding a clipboard holding papers of an unknown nature. The person seated tapped the armrest of his throne impatiently. The sound of his fingers tapping against the metal echoed through the room, giving it an eerie quality.

Just then, Alastair stepped inside the room, his arms crossed and his expression smug. Charon and Curtis looked at the newest arrival, but the unknown figure didn't turn his or her head. Instead, he was still staring intently at the computer screen in front of him, which was showing a slide of the planet.

"Benefactor, sir," Alastair greeted, bowing.

"I assume the Snowpoint Temple mission went well," replied the shadowy figure.

"Yes. Regigigas and Brandon's Regis have all been captured and are now in our custody. He and his family are also under our captivity. They've submitted to us."

"Send them to the cells with the rest."

"Yes, sir. And, uh, if I may ask, how goes the search for MTY?"

"She continues to evade us. But do not fret, Alastair. We will find her eventually. And once we do, we'll have two Psychic powerhouses on our side."

"I don't understand why we can't have MTX handle the matter. His Psychic abilities will find her in a flash-"

"It's too risky," interrupted the Benefactor. "If MTX is exposed to her any further, his memories may come back. And once they do, it'll be disastrous for us."

Alastair blinked, comprehending his superior's reasoning. He initially wanted to disagree and make things easy for the Syndicate, but then, he realized he didn't want to protest against the orders of the Benefactor, the one responsible for his well-being. So, he nodded loyally and bowed again.

"As you wish, sir," he replied.

"Good."

* * *

_"Let the almighty **lord of the land** come forth and vanquish the menace that is the rains and the seas!"_

–Ancient inscription at Hoenn temple built for Groudon worship

* * *

**Next time on "Judgment's Fall"**

**Ash:** I...I _love_ her.

**Misty:** How the hell did _she_ beat the rest of us to Ash?!

**Dace:** That is an order, Princess!

**Lisia:** Come on, May! Don't let it eat you up!

**Wallace:** It looks like I came at a bad time, doesn't it?...

**Hilbert:** You're...You're _right_.

**Serena:** Kiss me. Please.

**Chapter 15: Misfire**

* * *

**A/N:** And here we are, the reintroduction of the ever-nefarious Syndicate. It looks like they're gonna be worse than Adam and his goons, am I right? And hooray, we have seen what happened to the female Mewtwo since the events of Chapter 2! It looks like she's in the crosshairs of the Syndicate now!

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

**Moderator:** Yes, that's right. We had an OthelloShipping ending!

**edCOM02:**

1) Yep. Looks like Serena learned that the hard way, and just when she was starting to consider it too!

2) Oh yes, you're spot-on! And yeah, copyright strike for him!

3) You'll see what she meant by that...

4) But admittedly a little true.

5) And trust me, it's gonna be one hell of a ride!

**taeuknam:** You'll see about Ash's kiss in the next chapter!

**The Totem:** Yep, it certainly did. :P

**thor94:** Jesus Christ, PLEASE improve your spelling and grammar and punctuation and just about everything else! It's SO HARD to read your reviews!

1) Sorry, but you're gonna have to wait till Act III for Ash to go into badass mode with Mega Evolution. Act II will give him the reasoning to go to that mode, though.

2) It's not gonna be Mega Charizard X that'll be Ash's Mega Evolution. That's already gotten enough showtime with Alain as it is already.

3) Oh, it'll be corrected alright. ;)

**platinumguest (guest reviewer):** Ah yes, things will definitely be interesting! :D

**xxxSMDxxx:**

1) Being evil is fun. I recommend giving it a try! It's especially effective when you have your victims engaged in a good story and throw a cliffhanger in their eyes. XD

2) You'll see.

3) You'll see for that one too.

**SakuraNinjaress:**

1) Don't worry, things will cool down between Ash and Serena. Eventually. ;)

2) You'll see what's up with Calem in future chapters.

**ajani's apprentice:**

1) Don't worry, I know. ;)

2) I know, right? And this is just the beginning of it all! :D

3) Yep. Don't worry, she definitely steps into the picture in this act instead of being a cameo.

4) Oh no, Hilda's not a bad guy (or girl)! At least, that's not my intention. She'll be redeemed as the story goes along.

5) Spot-on. :)

**Gyga (guest reviewer):** Regarding the male Mewtwo, YES.

**Hero Time 18:** He's not appearing in this act.

**trublsmbob (guest reviewer):**

1) Thanks! That means a lot to me. I'll consider it!

2) Sorry about that, but it's how things are gonna go.

**dndkeg:** Ugly is the understatement of the century. Lots of drama shall ensue!

**justareadersofar:** Actually, if you read Chapter 9, there are scenes of Hilda showing interest in Ash during the dinner. Just in case you missed it.

**Swift4Sweeper:** I'm glad to give you a tally on how many Ash shippings there actually are. XD

**JRthebest:** I'm glad you enjoyed that part! I had that entire chapter lead up to that moment.

**Anonymous Trainer:**

1) I see we've got a manga reader here. :)

2) Yep.

**ChE clarinetist:**

1) Yeah, looks like Act II's being introduced with some action. But don't worry, the next couple of chapters should be more relaxed in tone now.

2) You'll see who Calem's talking to. It's definitely not the mysterious girl, I'll tell you that! And yes, Calem is looking out for Ash, even if he's being harsh about it.

3) Ah, red herrings are lovely, aren't they?!

4) You'll see about the Syndicate. And actually, writing IS my break! :D (I know, I'm a glutton for punishment, but it seriously is.)

**EquinoxWolf:**

1) The anime itself got away with breaking the fourth wall many times; my fanfic surely should have that same luxury.

2) Awwwww, Calem and Hilda aren't actually all THAT bad!

3) Yep, sadly enough for all AmourShippers. As for what'll happen before then, I'll just say a whole lot of action.

**DIE HILDA (guest reviewer):** Mm-hm, I'm looking at it.

**FuckHilda (guest reviewer):**

1) Aw man, people seriously hate Hilda that much? I know I made her kiss Ash, but still, I didn't design her to be a punching bag.

2) Ooh, you read "Separation" and caught that tidbit, eh? YES, that was foreshadowing. To what, though, I will not tell.

**Emily (guest reviewer):** I'm so glad you think this story is that great. Yes, the anime NEEDS to be a bit more mature like this story. It'll benefit the disenfranchised adult viewers a whole lot. It's not like children are the only ones being catered by the "Pokémon" franchise, am I right?!

**Guest reviewer:**

1) Um...I don't think you're seeing the full story with Calem...

2) You didn't read it thoroughly. Calem said Ash was helping people without _knowing_ if they were _evil_ or not. Criminal organizations whose evil intentions were made obvious have nothing to do with it, nor do Pokémon who he helped out in the past (I don't really count any of them as evil anyway, just mistrusted or misguided).

3) Aaannnddd more Hilda hate...

Well, hope you enjoyed this first chapter of Act II! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	17. Misfire

**A/N:** This just overtook all of my other stories as the one with the most words written. Dang, I've sure written a lot for this fic ever since I published it.

...

Just sayin'. :P

ENJOY!

* * *

**Hilda White and Hilbert Black's Summer Getaway Mansion  
****The Seventh District  
****Lumiose City, Kalos**

The full moon shone across the otherwise dark nighttime sky, illuminating the entire mansion in its pale light. The countless stars twinkled, much like how a jewel or a newly-cleaned car would sparkle with quality and magnificence. It was a true beauty in the infinitely expanding sea of darkness.

Near the mansion's warm and lush swimming pool, Ash and Serena sat, side by side. Ash was wearing nothing but a pair of dark-blue swimming trunks, while Serena was clad in a dark-pink bikini with a frilly skirt. Their bodies glimmered with beads of dripping water, mingled with some sweat. Her soft hand was placed over his. His auburn eyes bore deeply into her sapphire-blue ones, and her eyes stared back with as much intensity. They were leaning closer and closer towards each other.

Their lips were dangerously close to touching. It was beyond belief, even Serena's.

They were about to kiss...

* * *

**Chapter 15: Misfire**

* * *

**Fifteen hours earlier**

_RING! RING! RING!_

Serena's eyelids jerked open upon hearing the obnoxious ringing of her new alarm clock. Moaning in anger, she clenched her fist, raised it, and slammed it down upon the device, abruptly halting the ringing noise that unceremoniously disturbed her peaceful slumber. Immediately afterward, she angrily shifted onto her side, shut her eyes as hard as she possibly could, and buried her face in her thick blanket. She desperately hoped to go right back to sleep...

But she didn't. For once, Serena found herself preferring her mother's Fletchling using Peck on her over that accursed alarm clock.

With a frustrated moan, she sat up on her bed and glanced at the clock, reading the time. 7:00 A.M.

_"Perfect,"_ she thought. _"Just perfect. Now I'm gonna have to go downstairs and see _them_."_

The Pokémon Performer got out of her new bed and looked at herself in the large, well-cleaned mirror. With a disappointed sigh, she started unbuttoning her shirt. As she began the process of changing out of her sleepwear and getting into her everyday attire, her mind started to wander.

Exactly two weeks had passed ever since her second encounter with Adam and the so-called 'Lumiose City Disaster' as the media now liked to call it. Over 500 people and Pokémon were injured by the rampaging horde of Electric-type Pokémon, many of them critically, but fortunately, there were no fatalities. Adam and his group of cronies went through a quick trial and were sentenced to life in prison without parole. During the entire trial, Adam was dressed in a straitjacket and had a steel mask placed over his mouth to restrain him from speaking, since everyone knew he would only go on some insane rant aimed at Serena.

The only one who wasn't present at his or her own trial was Nick. He was still hospitalized for extensive third- and fourth-degree burns to his entire body. Fortunately, he was under heavy guard and had no chance of escaping, even though his wounds still would have prevented him from doing that. Even after all of that passed time, Serena still couldn't believe Adam had gone so insane from her victory over him that he would burn his accomplice alive.

At first, she felt guilty about that. If she didn't take her eye off Adam after defeating him, he wouldn't have escaped and nearly murdered Nick in cold blood. But now, she found comfort in the fact that things might've been worse, and that this was the most preferable option. And besides, no matter how slow and dim-witted he was, Nick was still a nefarious villain like the rest of them, and she no longer had to deal with him or Adam or any of their friends ever again...

And yet...

_**"I suspect he is."**_

...There was still the issue of her father's identity, and Serena knew it. Grace's answer to her question about Jake being her father was definitely vague, and that this vagueness was intentional. She knew Grace was trying to dodge the question. After all, Serena asked her the same question a few more times and received the same answer. But how much longer was she going to dodge the question? And better yet...would she have to stoop lower and ask Adam or one of his cronies that question?

Serena shuddered at the thought of the latter option...

At that point, the girl had already changed out of her pajamas and into her ordinary clothing. She looked into the mirror again and smiled slightly.

"Don't think about it right now, Serena," she said to herself in consolation. "You don't have to worry about anything. Adam's out of your hair. You can't possibly still be thinking about him even after you kicked his butt. Yeah." Her smile widened, and she nodded once with confidence. "Yeah! You kicked his butt! And he's finally rotting in a jail cell where he belongs! You shouldn't be thinking about him!" She began walking towards the doorway. "Yeah, you've got better things to worry about! Like-"

She opened the door and stepped out of her bedroom. She then found herself watching Ash and Hilda kissing in front of the doorway to the latter's bedroom.

"-_Ash_..."

Seconds later, Ash and Hilda broke the kiss, to which the former looked down the hallway and spotted Serena standing in the hallway.

"Oh, Serena!" the raven-haired Trainer greeted, giving his friend a friendly smile. "Good morning! How was your sleep?"

"It was good," replied Serena, trying her best to sound friendly, although she knew her tone sounded visibly forced. "Thank you very much, Ash..."

"Well, I know my sleep was excellent," Hilda piped, stepping beside Ash and taking his hand, "because I spent all night dreaming about you, Ashy-boy!"

When the president winked at him, Ash blushed intensely. "Oh please, Hilda!" he exclaimed in response. "You're embarrassing me!"

"Oh, come on, Ash! Having a girlfriend is nothing to be embarrassed about!" Hilda looked at Serena, smiling widely. "Isn't that right, Serena?"

"Y-Yeah," Serena replied, before she could stop herself, "it's nothing to be ashamed about, Ash. In fact..." She forced a smile on her face. "I'm proud of you, Ash!"

Ash returned the smile, right before a giddy Hilda approached him, took his hand, and guided him down the hallway, an energetic skip in her step. When he waved at her, Serena could only wave weakly back at him. Once the two approached the staircase and went down it, going out of sight, the Performer sighed sadly.

_**"Serena, if you don't confess your feelings to him as soon as possible, then who knows what'll happen? There's no doubt one of the other girls in that harem of his will beat you to the punch!"**_

_**"And yet, he cares for you a lot. I mean, he is **_**willing**_** to take on automatic gunfire and a missile explosion, just to save your life! He may be thick-headed when it comes to romance, but I can tell that deep down, he returns your feelings."**_

_"It's a shame,"_ Serena thought. _"Now I'll never know if Hilbert was right about that, because...Ash is already taken..."_

Indeed, a few days after Adam's defeat, Ash and Hilda started going out in a romantic relationship. A _legitimate_ romantic relationship. It had all started when Ash got out of his medically-induced coma while the Nurse Joys at the PWT Pokémon Center patched up the severe wounds he had sustained during the Lumiose City Disaster and Adam's torture. According to the both of them, Hilda gave Ash a surprise kiss while she and the others had gone out.

She could still remember how she and Hilbert walked in on them kissing so intensely they might've as well been ripping each other's lips off.

Ever since, Hilda started seeing Ash more often and asking him out on dates. At first, Ash was confused about the whole concept of romance, but by the time he was on his fifth date, he had begun to grasp it. And, rather unfortunately, he began to reciprocate Hilda's feelings. The final hammer came down while Ash and Hilda were assisting in reconstruction of the Pokémon World Festival alongside Serena and the others in their group. Words could not describe that occurrence...

For that was when Ash professed his undying love to Hilda, and the two became an official couple.

_**"I...I **_**love**_** her."**_

Those were the words Ash told Serena when she confronted him about it. She honestly couldn't believe she was hearing that from such an oblivious boy like Ash! The shock of it all was just too unbearable for her; she ran off and spent the rest of the day crying her eyes out in her room at Meyer's place. It was so loud, so sloppy, so messy... It was just like something out of a cheesy soap-opera...even though it was definitely all but that...

And now, Serena was forced to stand by and watch as Ash and Hilda kissed, hugged, held hands, and giggled happily. It sounded like a scenario that she dreamed of, except that it was _herself_ in Hilda's place... Watching them go on romantic escapades was some sort of mental torture for her...

"Hilbert was right," she whispered to herself as she began walking down the hallway. "I should've gotten to him as soon as I had the chance..."

However, as she approached the staircase and descended it, Serena realized there was an upside to Ash now being taken by Hilda.

* * *

"How the hell did she beat the rest of us to Ash?!"

Misty's face was as crimson as an apple as she watched Hilda feeding a grinning Ash while giggling excitedly. Sitting beside her were May, Dawn, Melody, Macy, Angie, Anabel, and Bianca, who were watching Ash and Hilda as well with their own disappointed or dismayed expressions. All eight girls were seated around a circular table in the expansive living room, which was situated right across the kitchen where Ash and Hilda were, giving them a good distance from the happy couple.

"You tell me," Angie replied sadly. "All I know is that we blew it..."

"No," snarled Macy. "_She_ blew it!" She flicked her head at Dawn's direction. "She was alone with Ash and Hilda when _it_ happened!"

"Yeah, that's right!" exclaimed Misty. "If she hadn't taken her eyes off them and stopped Hilda from making a move on Ash, then Ash would've been mine!"

"How DARE you?!" Dawn snapped. "I was checking on my mom and her Umbreon! What exactly was wrong with that?!"

"Pip-Piplup!" added Piplup defensively.

"Oh, what was wrong with _that_?! What was wrong, you ask?! Well, um, EVERYTHING!" The Cerulean City Gym Leader stood up. "_Everything_ was wrong with that!"

"Oh, look who's talking!" The blue-haired Coordinator crossed her arms and frowned bitterly. "Even if I stayed behind and stopped Hilda from smooching Ash, there is no doubt I would've stolen Ash for myself! You're blaming me for keeping my eye off him? You all should blame _yourselves_ for doing the exact same thing as me!"

Misty opened her mouth to retort, but stopped, realizing Dawn was right. She collapsed back on the sofa she was sitting on, a look of disbelief etched on her face. As for the other girls, they too realized the validity of Dawn's argument and fell silent. Finally, Bianca abruptly burst out into tears, startling everyone else.

"Oh, what's wrong now, Bianca?!" Melody exclaimed.

However, May's eyes widened as she put two and two together. At first, it wasn't painfully obvious, considering Bianca's subtlety, but it all made sense now.

"You're...You're in _love_ with Ash?!" the Top Coordinator cried. Her suspicions were confirmed the moment Bianca nodded softly.

"Hey, guys!"

All of the girls but Bianca looked up and frowned angrily as Ash and Hilda entered the living room. Ash's smile immediately turned upside-down upon recognizing the hateful stares directed towards him, as well as Bianca's crying. He looked from the group to Hilda, who was just as confused as he was.

"Uhhhhh..." He looked back at the group of girls. "Is something wrong, girls?"

"Oh no, not at all," chorused everyone in response, with the obvious exception of Bianca.

"It certainly looks like something is wrong," Hilda said, looking concerned. "Are...Are you okay, Bianca?"

"Yeah, I'm fine!" the blonde girl snapped.

"Are you sure? 'Cause you don't look so-"

"Yes, I'm fine!" Bianca immediately started wiping her eyes with her arm. "I'm super-duper fine! In fact, I'm all pumped up right now!" Once she was done wiping the tears from her eyes, the blonde teenage Trainer stared at the couple angrily. "Now, I would appreciate it very much if you two just leave right now!"

"_Leave_?" replied Ash incredulously. "Why-?"

"I said LEAVE! Right this instant!"

Ash and Hilda blinked in surprise at Bianca's angered response, but they decided that it was for the best if they did not pry any further into it. As such, the two made their leave, leaving behind the group of eight incredibly disappointed girls. Just minutes after the new couple departed from the living room, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, Brock, Cilan, Max, Calem, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor arrived one by one, all of them dressed up in their everyday clothing.

"Morning, everyone!" greeted Bonnie, smiling optimistically. "How was everyone's sleep here?"

"De-Dedenne?!" chirped Dedenne with an energetic smile of its own.

However, the seven-year-old girl was only greeted by a weak smile from May, while the other girls were still frowning angrily or, in Bianca's case, sobbing intensely.

"Is...Is everything alright?..." Brock asked cautiously, his eyebrow twitching. Unfortunately for him, his question wasn't given an appropriate response.

"Hmmm...I sense a foul reci-" began Cilan, but before he could continue...

"DON'T YOU **DARE** START WITH ALL THE FOOD ANALOGIES, CILAN!"

The Pokémon Connoisseur yelled out in surprise at the barrage of eight shouts attacking him at once and fell to the ground. He then slowly looked up in fear and then sweat-dropped upon seeing all eight girls standing from their chairs or sofa, practically engulfed in a fiery aura as they stared back at him.

* * *

**Lysandre Labs  
****Hidden within Lysandre Café  
****Magenta Plaza**

"But _Dace_! It's just Ash and his friends! I know for a FACT that they won't hurt us-"

"For the last time, Princess Diane, that's a NO! Lysandre said we cannot make any unauthorized contact, no matter what!"

Diane sighed angrily as she paced around in the laboratory, while Dace watched all of her movements closely. Ever since the occurrence of the 'Lumiose City Disaster', she and her servants had all been forced to live in Lysandre Labs for the time being. Unfortunately for Diane, there were no windows to the outside world, and she did not even have a computer to access. All she spent her time doing was resting, watching the few channels on a TV she was provided, and pacing around the room.

No, these living conditions weren't good enough for her! So what if there were villains running amok? They were all caught, right?

Then, she remembered seeing Ash being transported to the PWT Pokémon Center, severely injured. According to the news reports, everyone injured in the incident all survived, so it was a relief knowing her good friend wasn't in any mortal peril. However, it was a burden knowing there were close friends in close proximity...

And she desperately wanted to have some sort of contact outside of her servants, Lysandre, or any Team Flare employees.

"Dace," the disguised princess said, "I'm _really_ getting bored here-"

"So am I, princess," interrupted Dace. "However, it's for the greater good."

"Greater good? What greater good?! Don't you guys care about my mental health as much as you care for my physical health? It's so BORING around here!"

"There are evil villains lurking around the city!"

Diane rolled her new human eyes. "I thought Team Flare was keeping a track of them-"

"Those are only the ones they _know_ about, Princess!" Dace approached her and grabbed her arms sternly. "Think about the villains they _don't_ know about! They could be any average person living in this city! They could be among Team Flare's ranks! They could even be-" His eyes narrowed seriously. "-your friends."

Diane's eyes widened in horror. Then, she frowned angrily and shook herself out of Dace's grip before turning away.

"That is a _lie_," she spat. "That is a dirty LIE. Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie would NEVER have evil intentions for me! They care about me! They're my FRIENDS!"

"Maybe so," Dace said, "but we must protect you at ALL costs. There are people hunting you, princess!"

"What in Arceus's name do these people even _want_ from me? I've got nothing for anyone!"

The disguised Carbink servant grunted and crossed his arms. "Your Fairy Aura, for one, princess! Even small amounts of Fairy Aura possess a great amount of power!"

"But I am a human," replied Diane. "My powers are suppressed in this form. They can't take my Fairy Aura away from me. And speaking of which, I AM disguised as a human, of all things! They can't possibly be able to distinguish me out of all these hundreds of thousands of people in this city!"

"But we don't know if these villains have the _technology_ that can single you out from the others."

"Then what's the point of this disguise, then?! I will admit, it's fun being in a human body, but now that I've heard that, I don't see the necessity-"

"Better safe than sorry, princess!" Dace snapped, becoming increasingly impatient. "I swear to Arceus, you're making me wanna hand you over to the villains already! You NEED to take this situation seriously, Princess Diane! If you don't, you WILL wind up regretting it to the end of your life!"

"I'm already regretting agreeing to this! I wanna go back to the outside world, Dace! I wanna feel the taste of _freedom_!"

"First of all, you can't _feel_ a _taste_, or vice-versa. Second of all, there. Are. Villains. Out. THERE. And I urge you to listen to me! That is an order, Princess!"

"I WILL NOT LISTEN TO YOU, DACE!"

"What in blazes is going on here?!" a new voice roared suddenly. Diane and Dace turned their heads towards the main staircase, watching as Xerosic stepped into the laboratory, followed by Bryony and Celosia. "I am not going to have this arguing in MY laboratories! So I suggest you two take it somewhere else!"

"Mr. Xerosic!" Diane exclaimed, running up to the Team Flare scientist. "Please allow me to go outside! I'm so, so, SO bored here-"

"That's a no-go, princess, my apologies. You must remain in these quarters at all times until we say otherwise."

"What?! You can't possibly be siding with Dace here!"

"You have your television, Princess Diane," Celosia said, pointing to the portable TV set.

"Yeah, which barely has any channels on it!"

"Well, you can blame her." Celosia pointed her thumb over her shoulder and at Bryony, whose eyes widened in anger.

"Excuse me!" the green-haired woman exclaimed. "I wasn't the one who designed these portable TV sets to barely have any channels whatsoever!"

"Where'd you even get that set?"

"I had it shipped from some place called M Electronics."

"Well," Xerosic said, "go there and ask for a portable TV set that has a lot of channels. We don't want our guest to become bored in our quarters. It won't look good."

"Damn it. Why am I always the one who has to make the errands?"

"Because you're good at convincing people, that's why," replied Bryony. "Now get going. We can't have our guest wait on you forever, you know."

Celosia grunted in frustration and left the laboratory. As she did, there was a shining, noticeable glint on her belt that quickly attracted Diane's attention. The princess then glared at Dace, who was now addressing Xerosic and Bryony. A frown came upon her face as she looked back at the main staircase...

* * *

**Bleu Plaza**

Grimsley looked around nervously, hoping that the drawn hood and the thick scarf wrapped around his mouth were enough to obscure his face from complete view. A position with the Elite Four of any region had an instant guarantee of widespread public recognition, which he did not desire at the moment. After all, he was washing his hands in blood right now through this meeting, as if his hands didn't have enough blood on them already.

The Unova Elite Four member cautiously approached the side of a building that was part of the circle of buildings surrounding Bleu Plaza. Compared to the many other buildings located in the area, it was the loneliest of them all, with only two other people standing against the wall. Grimsley recognized these people immediately.

"...Who are you?" Courtney asked, her voice robotic.

"It's me, Grimsley," replied the Elite Four member.

"I...don't know why you are."

"Of the Unova Elite Four?"

"...Calculating..."

"Arceus in Heaven, didn't the Syndicate tell you I was a spy like you?"

"Ignore her," a voice responded softly. Grimsley looked at the other person standing beside the wall, whom he identified as Winona. "She did that to me too."

"I see..." Grimsley said, casting a wary stare at Courtney as the Top Coordinator stared back without emotion.

"I guess now that you're here," continued Winona, "we'll get started."

"Wait, isn't Officer Jenny participating in this little meeting too?"

"As anticipated," Courtney suddenly said, startling the Dark-type specialist. "Officer Jenny...is out busy. She will learn...later. For now...we must...analyze. Ha."

Both Grimsley and Winona sweat-dropped nervously at Courtney's strange speech pattern. However, they chose to simply ignore it as Winona took out a small tablet-like communication device from her pocket, typed down a set of unknown digits using its keyboard, and then waited for the device to respond. It didn't take long for a hologram of a man with unkempt black hair and blue eyes to appear. He was easily distinguishable with his thin-framed rectangular glasses.

"Greetings," Alastair said, bowing slightly. "The Benefactor sends you three and Officer Jenny his regards."

"Uh..thank you..." replied Grimsley. "So, can you tell us why you had us all gather here in the heat of the day, just to call you?"

"We're almost ready to launch the next phase of the master plan."

At the sound of that response, Winona's skin paled noticeably. However, she maintained her composure and continued listening.

"And what does this have to do with us?" Grimsley asked.

"The Benefactor wants you three, along with Officer Jenny, to manipulate events so we could reach a desirable outcome in the future. We have specific instructions for you, and I highly emphasize the importance of not straying from said instructions. Before I begin, can I guarantee that you _will_ listen and obey?"

"Yes, Alastair sir," Grimsley replied.

"We're listening...closely," added Courtney in a monotonous robotic voice.

Winona nodded without saying a word.

Alastair smirked in response. "Now that's good."

* * *

**Restaurant Le Wow  
Hibernal Avenue  
Later that day**

Restaurant Le Wow was fully occupied, just like any other day for the business. Customers were seated at tables, while waiters were moving around the area, serving their patrons with the food they ordered. If one were to closely observe everyone's day, it would seem to them as if the Lumiose City Disaster never happened.

At one particular table for four, three well-disguised girls were seated, having just made their orders.

"Ohhhhh, I can't believe I allowed Ash to get out of my grasp like that!" May angrily slapped her forehead in disbelief. "Stupid, stupid, _stupid_!"

Lisia and Marina watched as May continued berating herself for her so-called screw-up with deadpan expressions. For two weeks now, their friend had been acting this way and it was distracting for them during their shared training sessions. Sure, the PWT was delayed for another few weeks due to the oh-so-convenient Lumiose City Disaster, but no Top Coordinator Elite would let all of their training go to sudden waste. As such, the trio agreed to continue training for the upcoming occasion.

But, as said before, May didn't have her head in the game at the moment.

"Come on, May!" Lisia exclaimed, trying to hold her irritation at bay. "Don't let it eat you up! There are many other boys out there for you to show interest in!"

"Yeah..." May's expression softened. "But there won't be anyone like Ash..."

"There's, like, billions of boys out there, May. Chances are there's another boy who's similar to Ash in all ways possible!"

Her fellow Top Coordinator Elite frowned sadly. "Yeah. _Similar_..."

"Uh, what exactly do you find about this Ash guy that's so lovable?" asked Marina curiously. "No offense, but I don't think I'd be able to handle a boyfriend who would keep on nearly killing himself while trying to help out other people in need." She shivered instinctively. "I'd die from a heart attack first."

May looked at Marina, smiled slightly, and replied, "If it weren't for Ash, I wouldn't be a Pokémon Coordinator in the first place."

"No way!" cried a surprised Lisia. "_Really_?! What happened between you two that made you become a Coordinator?!"

"Well," May explained, "it started when I was a beginning Trainer. To tell you the truth, I never really liked Pokémon back then. I had some bad experiences with them in my childhood. All I hoped to accomplish from being a Pokémon Trainer was the traveling. I didn't think anything special would come out of my first day as a Trainer.

"Then, I met Ash. His Pikachu was overcharged from electricity, and the poor guy was running amok, confused and scared. However, Ash stopped at nothing to make sure Pikachu was safe and got all the treatment he needed. Heck, he even jumped off a cliff after Pikachu, just to catch him!"

"Whoa!" Lisia and Marina cried in amazement.

"That's...That's so _cool_!" Marina said. "It totally sounds like something my friend Jimmy would do!"

"Yeah," replied May, smiling fondly. "Anyway, I was so awestruck by Ash's courage and determination. I wasn't aware of it at the time, but that was when I fell in love with him. And before I knew it, I started traveling with him. Fortunately, he didn't mind my presence, even if his Pikachu _was_ responsible for frying my bike during his ailment. I think Ash thought that I'd be useful as a guide for him, since he was new to Hoenn at the time. He was trying to challenge the Pokémon League there."

"Okay, okay," Lisia said impatiently. "Get to the part where you became a Coordinator!"

"I was getting to that."

"Certainly didn't sound like it."

May rolled her eyes teasingly. "_Anyway_, as I was saying, I first found Pokémon Contests near Rustboro City. I was _so_ amazed by the performances I saw on the stage, and I _knew_ I had to be on there, doing performances of my own! But I was scared by the prospect of becoming a Coordinator at first. I mean, since my dad is a well-known, powerful Gym Leader, everyone had such high expectations of me becoming a successful Trainer like him. I actually thought everyone would disapprove of my career decision, and that my dad would be super-ticked at what I wanted to be in life. I was torn between everyone's expectations and my own dreams."

"And I'm assuming Ash gave you the confidence to follow your own dream," Marina replied, "instead of following what everyone else had in mind for you."

The Top Coordinator nodded, smiling widely. "Yeah. He had a lot of faith in me. He knew I would be good as a Coordinator, not as a Trainer. He even helped me out in my practicing for upcoming Contests. And fortunately, when I broke the news of my true goal to my dad, he wasn't angry or anything. In fact, he was pleased."

"Whoa..." Lisia said, her turquoise eyes now wide in wonder. "This Ash boy, he really had quite an impact on you, didn't he?..."

"Yeah... And by the time my journey with Ash ended, I had grown so close to my Pokémon. I was no longer afraid of them or anything. Ash's bravery and confidence also rubbed off on me. It's now so easy, being onstage and performing lots of fantastic improvised attacks and having amazing battles! No pressure or anything!"

"And that's how you became one of the best Coordinators out there." Lisia closed her eyes, smiling. "Wow... You sure talked about that Ash boy a lot, May, yet I never knew why you were so obsessed with him. But now...now that you told me that story about the two of you together-" She abruptly opened her eyes as they sparkled. "-it makes a sense. In fact, it makes a _whole_ lot of sense now." Her lips curved into a crafty smirk. "I feel so _jealous_, May..."

"J-J-Je-_Jealous_?!" May's face turned red. "Jealous of what, Lissi?!"

"Your relationship with him, that's what, doofus!" The turquoise-haired girl giggled and lightly punched May playfully on the shoulder. "All my years in the Coordinator business, and all the people who have tried asking me out on dates are just rabid fanboys who have no sense of gentlemanly behavior." She sighed dreamily. "I have always hoped to find a boy who knew what I wanted, a boy I could understand like the back of my hand...a boy I could get close to..."

"Well, it's too bad, Lissi," an older male voice said, "because your mother wouldn't like it if you were seeing someone, what with your age and all."

May, Lisia, and Marina turned their heads and saw a man with turquoise hair and eyes matching Lisia's own. He was approaching their table, wearing dark sunglasses, a dark coat, and a brown beret that perfectly disguised his features so no one could easily recognize him. Lisia's eyes brightened at the sight of this man.

"Uncle Wall!" she exclaimed happily. Then, she frowned. "Were you listening in on our conversation?"

"Maybe, maybe not," replied Wallace. He examined all three girls. "It looks like I came at a bad time, doesn't it?..."

"Oh, no, no, you didn't, Wallace!" May said. "Everything's fine here."

"Oh, now that's a gracious relief." He looked at the empty seat. "Is anyone sitting there?"

"No," Lisia replied. "Court bailed out at the last second for some reason." She gestured to the seat. "Have a seat, Uncle Wall!"

Wallace nodded in response and sat down at the table. As he did, May looked at the Sootopolis City Gym Leader curiously.

"So, what're you doing here, Wallace?" she asked.

"Oh, I just heard this place served marvelous food, so I thought I'd give it a try," replied Wallace. "And it so happens I stumble upon you girls having a conversation."

"Yeah, about a good friend of hers, named Ash," Lisia said. "...Well, I think 'good' is an understatement..."

Upon hearing that remark, May blushed in embarrassment at the implication of her friend's tone. As for Wallace, he smiled upon recognizing Ash's name.

"Ah, Ash," he said. "I remember him."

"What?!" Lisia looked back up at her uncle. "You met him before?!"

"Oh yes, indeed I have." Wallace glanced at May with a twinkle in his turquoise eye. "Remember the Wallace Cup tournament at Lake Valor two years ago?"

May's mind was then filled with memories of her reunion with Ash and Brock at the Sinnoh region, as well as her first meeting with Dawn and Zoey. She recalled how excited she was to see Ash again after spending a year without his companionship. It had been after her departure from Lake Valor when she realized her well-hidden love for her good friend and mentor, the first one to show confidence in her being herself. The memory of her realization brought a soft smile to her face.

"Yes," she replied. "I remember that time."

Wallace nodded. "Ah yes, that was indeed an intense and glorifying experience. Simply one for the record books. And Ash was a _marvel_ onstage."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute!" Lisia exclaimed. "Ash is a Coordinator too?!"

"Why, yes he was, my dear."

The Contest Idol glared at May. "You never told me _that_, May! I NEED to see him in action at a Contest performance! We sure could use more Coordinators-"

"Sorry, Lissi," replied May, shaking her head. "That's a no-go. He's pretty determined in staying a Pokémon Trainer. He only dabbles in Contests for fun."

Lisia blinked rapidly, surprised by the response she received from May. Then, she crossed her arms and looked away, pouting.

"No one should dabble in Contests just for _fun_. Especially if they prove to be good at it." She looked back at May. "I mean, if Uncle Wall approves of Ash's skills in the Contest field, then I think we're looking at some serious untapped potential! Nothing like that should go down in waste! I do not care what it takes, May; you _need_ to help me out in convincing him to show me his skills sometime later today. If you and Uncle Wall speak of him in such high regard, then I need to take a look at him!"

At first, May was about to refuse the proposal, knowing fully well that Ash wouldn't seriously consider a permanent goal in Contests. However, she remembered all of the things Lisia had done for her ever since she became a Top Coordinator, most notably introducing her to the prestigious Top Coordinator Elite Association. Without her, she wouldn't be in the position she was today. To simply shoot Lisia down after all of that was unbearable to May.

So, she replied, "I'll talk to him about it, and we'll see where it goes."

Lisia smiled widely at May. "Ooh, thank you very much, May!" the Contest Idol replied. "I knew I could count on you to get something important done!"

However, Wallace and Marina were looking at May with curious expressions. They could sense the quick reaction from her, and it was unsettling to say the least...

* * *

Outside the restaurant, Drew and his Roserade were seated at one of the outdoor tables, which was near an open window. As a result, the two were able to overhear every single word spoken by the group of Top Coordinators. And with every word that was spoken by May, Drew became more and more disappointed.

"What a shame..." he said to himself as he stirred the tea in his cup. "And I thought she was gonna go for the better option..."

"Rose..." replied Roserade in agreement.

* * *

**Hilda White and Hilbert Black's Summer Getaway Mansion  
****The Seventh District  
****A couple of hours later**

"A pool party?"

"Yes, Bernard, a pool party."

Bernard blinked, surprised by Hilda's proposal. "Whatever for, Ms. White?" he asked.

"Well," replied the female president, "considering it's been two weeks since the attempt to kidnap me and Hilbert failed, I think it's in the BW Agency's best nature to thank those who stopped this plot. And what better way to convey our thanks than a party? Plus, we barely use the pool here. Might as well give it some use now!"

"Is this necessary, Hilda?" Hilbert asked. "I mean, we've already thanked them by allowing them to relocate their shelter to this mansion-"

"Oh, come on, Hilbert!" interrupted Hilda, stretching out her arms in emphasis. "We need to be lively! We need to brighten the mood! Yes, we took in our saviors and gave this mansion to them as sanctuary, but surely, they don't know what to do with that! If so, then let's show them that we really appreciate their help in saving us both and allow them full usage of all the mansion's functions! And a party will certainly do just that for them! Come on, what do you guys say?!"

Hilbert pursed his lips, then replied, "I guess you have a point..."

"WHAT?!" snapped Bernard, startling the two teenagers. "You can't be _serious_, you two!"

"And can you tell us why you're so opposed to the idea of a mere pool party, Bernard?" Hilda asked, crossing her arms.

"Do you have any idea what uncultured teenagers do at pool parties?!"

"We're aware of what they can do. And that is why we have our private security detail and our butlers and maids at hand. There won't be any real problems, Bernard, otherwise I definitely wouldn't have suggested the idea in the first place." She smirked triumphantly. "Any other objections, Bernard?"

Bernard grunted angrily, but his shoulders slumped in defeat. Finally, he sighed and waved his hand in dismissal.

"Suit yourself," he said. "By all means, party on to your hearts' content! But I still do not think a pool party is the best of ideas..."

"Oh, come on, Bernard! What could possibly go wrong?!"

* * *

**The following night**

The pool party was certainly lively and energetic, but fortunately not chaotic and rambunctious as Bernard had apparently expected it to be. Numerous Gym Leaders and other celebrities, all of whom participated in quelling the Electric Pokémon and thwarting Adam and his gang, were invited to celebrate the effort of teamwork. It was no surprise knowing the BW Agency summer mansion was the source of the loudest noises heard throughout the rest of Lumiose City.

"Whhhooooooooaaaaa!" Ash cried longingly as he gazed around the pool, watching as numerous people swam in it or milled around the sides. "You sure know how to throw quite a party, huh Hilda?" He looked at his new girlfriend, who was smiling proudly. "It sure is nice, gathering everyone here to have fun!"

"Of course it's nice, Ash!" replied Hilda, playfully punching him in the shoulder. "Otherwise I wouldn't have suggested it!"

"OOH, LOOK AT ALL THE BEAUTIFUL **GIRLS**!" a familiar voice shouted.

Ash and Hilda sweat-dropped as they watched Brock kneel before Erika, Clair, Roxanne, Gardenia, Elesa, and Valerie, all of whom were clad in bikinis that clung on to their bodies. There were hearts in his squinted eyes as the aspiring Pokémon Doctor stretched out his hand towards all six beautiful women.

"SHALL WE HAVE A PRIVATE PARTY FOR SEVEN- **ACK!**"

Croagunk croaked mischievously as its Trainer began to fall to the ground, paralyzed by its Poison Jab. Before Brock could hit the ground, Misty and Max were quick to seize one ear each and began dragging him away, with the help of Croagunk, who had grabbed the back of Brock's shirt.

"Maybe you should have a private party for one," Misty and Max deadpanned at once, while Croagunk croaked again.

"Not the ears..." Brock moaned as the three dragged him out of sight, leaving behind six puzzled Gym Leaders.

Ash and Hilda only giggled nervously at what they just saw. Then, Hilda began walking back towards the mansion, something Ash quickly noticed.

"Hey, where are you going, Hilda?" he asked.

"Gonna go change into my bikini," replied Hilda, winking at him. "I think you're gonna like it. It's new."

Ash blinked, not liking the sound of Hilda's voice. "I don't understand. What's there to like about a swimsuit? I mean, I just can't see the appeal."

Hilda giggled girlishly, her cheeks blushing. "Oh, I think you'll find out soon enough. Now, go get changed, sweetie! You wanna join the others in the pool, right?"

The raven-haired Trainer smiled widely, forgetting about the previous topic. "You betcha!"

Nearby, Pikachu was observing the entire conversation. He then sighed and shook his head in disappointment at his Pikapi, watching him as he left to change as well.

"Pika-Pikachu..." he said softly to himself.

* * *

At the same time Ash went back inside the mansion to change in his swimwear, Serena left the building and stepped into the pool area. She was currently wearing her dark-pink bikini, and her face was colored in a deep shade of scarlet. She bought the bikini a couple of months back, but never bothered to use it because she and the others never swam in their journey until tonight. Now that she was using the bikini now, she was nervous about how Ash would react upon seeing her in it...

After all, she had him in mind when she bought it...

_"Hopefully this will get his attention away from that Hilda,"_ thought Serena as she lightly slapped her cheeks to focus herself.

"Hey, Serena!" a voice called.

She looked across her shoulder and saw Clemont, Bonnie, Hilbert, Cilan, Dawn, and Cynthia sitting together in a group. All of them were wearing their own swimwear, and obviously, they were engrossed in the joyous celebration. Nearby the group were Dedenne, Dawn's Piplup, and the BW Agency mascots, who were playing among each other while Cynthia's Garchomp rested nearby, snorting occasionally whenever the playing got too close to its resting place.

"Hey, guys," greeted Serena as she approached them. "What a party, huh?"

"Yeah," Hilbert replied. "You...You look great in that. Is that bikini, uh, new? OW!"

Dawn had slapped the president with enough force to leave behind a soft stinging sensation.

"You pervert," she said, pouting. "_That's_ the first thing you're gonna say to Serena?"

"Oh, it's okay, Dawn!" Serena cried, waving her hands in emphasis and chuckling nervously. "I'm perfectly fine with Hilbert asking. Actually, Hilbert, this thing's a few months old, but I never used it because I never came across a body of water while traveling with Ash and the others. This is the first time I'm using it."

"Well, I think it looks good on you, Serena!" exclaimed Bonnie happily, smiling widely. "You look like an _angel_!"

"Oh." Serena blushed slightly at the compliment. "Thank you, Bonnie. You're so nice."

Bonnie nodded giddily before looking at Clemont. "I wish Clemont had an angel who can take care of him. He's always so lonely-"

"If you're gonna pair me up with Serena," Clemont snapped suddenly, a tone of desperation and embarrassment in his voice, "then you can _forget_ it!"

"How're you gonna hold up on your own without a wife who can take care of you, Clemont?!"

Everyone else chuckled nervously as they watched the two siblings shout back and forth between each other. As they did, May, Lisia, and Marina arrived on the scene, wearing bikinis colored in dark-red, white, and blue, respectively. May spotted Bonnie arguing with Clemont and smiled nostalgically.

"Reminds me of the good times," the Top Coordinator said, attracting the others' attention. "Speaking of which, where's Max?"

"Helping Misty and Croagunk deal with Brock," Dawn replied, smirking.

"Ah, I see." May chuckled. "Mind if we sit with you guys?"

"Sure, go on ahead," Cynthia replied.

The three Top Coordinators thanked the former Sinnoh Champion and sat down with the rest of the group. As they did, May looked at Serena and Dawn.

"Hey, did you guys see Ash by any chance?" she asked.

"He went back into the mansion," replied Dawn bitterly.

"He did?" Serena asked, looking at the blue-haired Coordinator.

"Yeah, a few seconds after _she_ did." Dawn's eyes narrowed menacingly. "I _really_ don't wanna know what the two of them might be doing inside..."

Serena and May's eyes widened in horror as they shouted, "THEY **WOULDN'T**!"

Dawn merely scoffed. "If they did...well, it had to happen Ash sooner or later. Couldn't have happened to a nicer girl-"

"Hey, guys!"

Everyone looked up, and Serena, May, and Dawn breathed sighs of relief as Ash approached the group, Pikachu perched on his shoulder. He was wearing nothing but dark-blue swimming trunks, leaving the rest of his tanned, well-built body to be exposed to the open air... Serena found herself blushing at the sight of him again.

"Hey, Ash!" Bonnie replied, smiling optimistically as usual.

"Dedenne!" added Dedenne.

"So, where's Hilda? She said I would like her new swimsuit-"

Serena, May, and Dawn all collapsed to the ground, moaning in grief and anguish. However, before Ash could ask the three girls if they were okay, Lisia abruptly flew up on her feet, whipping out a notepad and a pencil from seemingly out of nowhere, and leaned dangerously close to the raven-haired Trainer's face.

"Hiya, Ashy!" the Contest Idol greeted.

"Ummm..._hey_?..." replied Ash nervously. "You're...Lisia, right?"

"Oh my Arceus, you remembered me!" Lisia giggled like a giddy schoolgirl before writing something down on the notepad. "I have a few questions for you!"

"Questions?" The Trainer blinked in confusion, while Pikachu hopped off his shoulder, not wanting to bear any potential torture. "What kind of questions?"

"Well, May here tells me you've been dabbling in Contests occasionally!"

"Y-Ye-Yes, that's co-correct... Where is this headed?"

"Yeah, see, I happen to also be scouting for new Pokémon Coordinators. As a Contest Idol, I'm expected to find the new big hot-shot. And, uh-" Lisia immediately and surprisingly tucked Ash's head under her armpit, therefore bringing his face uncomfortably close to her..._female assets_. "-you're obviously the hot-shot I need!"

"W-Wh-Wha?..." Ash moaned as he tried his best to avoid being suffocated by the nearby soft flesh. "I-I'm sorry, L-Lisia, but I'm not all that sk-skilled- OOF!"

Lisia started giving Ash a noogie, which brought his head even more close to her chest. Serena, May, and Dawn watched the scene unfold in complete horror; Hilbert, Clemont, Cilan, and even Marina's eyes were wide in shock. As for Cynthia, she apparently fell asleep on her chair. Fortunately enough, Bonnie was not watching, her focus fully diverted by the Pokémon as they played around innocently, also unaware of what their Trainers or owners were staring at.

"Oh, come on, Ash!" Lisia cried, blissfully unaware of what she was doing to the helpless Ash. "May tells me you're good! And I had my Uncle Wall get his hands on all the recordings of the Wallace Cup tournament two years ago, the one you participated in. I checked out those tapes, and by golly, I agree with her! You know, I think you should probably drop Pokémon training and go into the Contest business! There's no doubt you'd get to the top in a flash-"

"WHAT?!" Ash shouted, breaking free from Lisia's grip. "NO!"

"What?!" Lisia looked at Ash, shocked at his reaction. "Wh-What do you mean 'no'? You should see yourself on those tapes. Some professional tweaking in your style, and I think you'll be able to get yourself your first Ribbon Cup before you can say 'Uncle Wall'! Come on, what do ya say, Ashy?"

"Thank you for the offer, Lisia, I really appreciate it. But I shall have to pass on this one. I've already resolved to become the world's greatest Pokémon Master. That's my goal, my dream. And there's no other career opportunity that'll make me change my mind. I am so sorry, Lisia, but no, I won't become a Coordinator."

"Wh-_Wha_?..." Lisia blinked rapidly, surprised at Ash's determination. "A-Are y-you _serious_, Ash? Do you really wanna keep pursuing something you just can't seem to get your hands on? I mean, I saw that little discussion between you and that other boy during that dinner two weeks ago-"

"Don't you dare bring Calem into this," interrupted Ash suddenly. "I don't wanna hear his name right now."

"Arceus, sorry." Lisia flicked her head at May and mouthed to her, "Help me out here!"

May nodded and opened her mouth, preparing to address Ash, but she was suddenly cut off by another voice.

"Hey, Ash. What do you think?"

Everyone looked at Hilda, who had just stepped out of the mansion, and their lower jaws dropped open at the sight of her. She was wearing a two-piece bikini colored in black and white stripes, with her top being held by simple thin strings and her bottom clipped together by a small, white heart. Her voluptuous body shone with the lighting placed upon the pool, showing off her creamy-white skin in all of its glory. Ash immediately blushed upon seeing her, realizing what she meant about a bikini.

The black-haired Trainer stuttered, "You...Y-You...You, uh...um...u-uh, um...You look, uh..."

Hilda giggled at Ash's embarrassment, approached him with a seductive motion, and slowly wrapped her arms over his shoulders and across his back.

"You're so cute, Ash," she said, right before her lips intertwined with his.

Serena felt her heart shatter into a million pieces.

* * *

**A couple of hours later**

Serena sat alone by the poolside, her body glimmering with drying beads of water. She was absentmindedly wallowing her legs in the swimming pool.

Just a few minutes earlier, everyone had gone inside to have a glorious dinner, as Cilan put it. Putting on a straight face, Serena told the others she was going to keep on swimming, although she was obviously doing nothing of the sort. Instead, she was allowing the silent air to be filled with the soft sounds of swishing water and her breathing. As she continued moving her legs in the water, she delved back into her thoughts, as she always did whenever she was alone.

_**"You're screwed now."**_

_"Shut up."_

**_"Why the anger, Serena? You know you're right."_**

_"I...I just can't believe I _missed _him..."_

**_"And now, he's Hilda's. He's taken, he'll never be yours, you'll never have a future with him, boo-hoo, boo-hoo. Get your focus back on, Serena!"_**

_"Why should I? It's over."_

**_"Only because you're _allowing _it to be over. You keep on fighting, Serena, and Ash will realize your feelings for him."_  
**

_"And I ask again, why should I? Hilda's his girlfriend, and he loves her-"_

**_"Oh, do you honestly believe a dense person like Ash would just suddenly fall in love with a pretty girl overnight?"_**

_"You're right! That's not like him! He wouldn't fall in love so fast, not after all those times the girls have tried getting his attention! Maybe he's hypnotized, or Hilda is threatening him into loving her, or maybe he got replaced by a clone and the real Ash is being held captive somewhere! Yeah, that's-"_

**_"You're pushing it, Serena. More like Ash doesn't know how to deal with Hilda saying her feelings for him outright and he's just trying to be nice."_**

_"...Yeah, that sounds like another possibility..."_

**_"And if that's true, then there is still a chance for you, Serena. Tell him how much you really feel for him, and make sure he eases into it. Don't be so forceful, so melodramatic. I think that's what got Ash into that relationship in the first place. Don't give him more pressure."_**

_"But I'm so afraid..."_

**_"Arceus in Heaven, you remembered what Hilbert said this morning! Maybe you need to jog your memory!"_**

_"I remember what Hilbert said! It's just..."_

**_"You're a scaredy-Meowth."_**

_"You could put it that way..."_

**_"Oh, the things we must do to function in life. Do you have any idea what kind of regrets you'll feel if you let Ash slip away from you like this?!"_**

_"I'm not stupid. Of course I know what the repercussions will be. But...But now..."_

**_"You're starting to wonder if it's all really worth it."_**

_"He's either gonna continue being nice to Hilda and return her love, or he'll get overwhelmed, or he's gonna reject me downright...or he really does love Hilda."_

**_"Are you serious?"_**

_"What if he isn't just trying to be nice? What if he knew what romance was the moment she kissed him? What if he truly felt it? What if...he's happy with her?..."_

**_"Well, why don't you try and find out? Confess."_**

_"And give him the pressure of knowing he was traveling with a girl who had a crush on him the entire time? I don't wanna complicate his relationship with Hilda. Even if I don't like it, I've always liked it whenever he smiled. If I did something that caused that smile to disappear, then I'd never forgive myself..."_

**_"But you don't know if he's being serious about loving Hilda, or if he's just being nice or plain stupid?! You've gotta consider all the possibilities!"_**

_"I'd rather not risk it. Either way...he's really happy...and in the end...I guess that's all that matters..."_

**_"...Arceus in Heaven, this is gonna be a long night. I freaking swear..."_**

Just then, her thoughts were dispelled when Serena heard the door close itself shut. Serena watched as Hilbert stepped near the pool, on the opposite side of her, his arms crossed. At first, she wondered what he was doing out here, but then...she noticed the tears of sadness flowing from his eyes, down his cheeks...

"Are you okay, Hilbert?" she asked, catching his attention.

"Huh? Oh..." Hilbert wiped his eyes with his arm. "Yeah, I'm fine, Serena." He smiled widely. "Totally fine."

The Performer frowned. "Don't you dare lie to me, Hilbert. I saw you crying."

"Oh." Hilbert looked down at the pool solemnly to stare at his distorted reflection. "Guess I must be a real crybaby..."

"Not if you tell me what's wrong, Hilbert."

Hilbert looked back up at Serena, and she noticed that his eyes were welling up with tears again. As soon as she saw his expression, she remembered something.

_**"You sound like you know this from experience, Hilbert."**_

_**"Trust me, I...I know where you come from..."**_

"When you said you knew where I came from," the girl said, "back at the Pokémon Center...you were talking about a girl, right?"

Hilbert blinked, apparently mentally debating whether he should answer that question. Finally, he reluctantly nodded.

"And that girl," Serena continued, "it's Hilda, isn't it?"

The president's eyes widened in shock. Then, they softened, and Hilbert nodded.

"You're...You're _right_," he replied.

The two teenagers stood silently on either side of the swimming pool, looking at each other from their side. With the lights on the mansion turned off, the only source of lighting now was the lights in the pool, which illuminated the ripples on the water's surface. This was reflected onto Serena and Hilbert's bodies, making it look as if snake-like patterns were moving across their pale bodies. However, this didn't disturb the color of their eyes; Serena's blue gazed into Hilbert's brown.

Finally, Serena piped, "Wanna swim with me?"

This time, Hilbert didn't hesitate to nod, tear off the shirt he was wearing, kick off his sandals, and dive into the pool with Serena.

The two never noticed the pair of X-shaped eyes watching them in the darkness, flashing a hungry grin.

* * *

**An hour later**

"No way, _really_?!"

"Yeah, Hilda was super-ticked at Tepig for months!"

Serena burst out into loud laughter upon hearing Hilbert's response. The two had just concluded their shared swimming activity and were now sharing random events and memories at the poolside. At this point, the full moon was suspended in the sky, illuminating the entire pool deck in its light. The stars were twinkling brightly.

"Well," the Performer said, wiping a tear from her eye, "I guess that teaches Hilda."

"Yeah," replied Hilbert. "Never mess with a new Tepig."

"So that Tepig you were talking about, he's the Tepig in the current roster of BW Agency mascots?"

"The one and only. I knew from the moment I saw him frying Hilda's hair that this Tepig had different goals in mind...just like I did."

Serena patted Hilbert on the back, causing him to blush. "And now, you two are getting closer to achieving your shared goal!"

"Yeah." Hilbert looked down at his hands. "A shame Ash is helping me less and less in my training sessions. All he's more concerned about is his own training, and..."

His voice trailed off, allowing Serena to interject. "Well, to be honest, the point of being a Pokémon Trainer is if you do it alone. It's great Ash was helping you out, by from what I've seen from your progress these past two weeks, I think you're ready to take the next step. I think you can train Tepig by yourself."

He looked at Serena. "You really think so?" he asked.

"Yep." Serena smiled at him. "And pretty soon, you can have a battle with Ash or any of the others! Maybe even me!"

"You? But I thought you're not into battling-"

"Well, I've looked closely at Ash's training style ever since I started traveling with him. I remember a bunch of things. I think I can handle well in a battle."

"Oh, that's good." Hilbert's eyes softened as he looked into Serena's blue eyes. "You know, I...I can't thank you enough-"

"Oh, no," interrupted Serena. "Thank Ash, not me. He's the one who had faith in you in the first place-"

"But _you_ were there to listen to me. You were always there whenever I had to vent my uncertainties, my worries. Sure, Ash responded to my needs well, but you...I-I had a more personal connection to you, you know? We're alike, I mean. We were so unsure of ourselves, we were forced to live up to false expectations... I think that is why I've always gone to you more instead of Ash for comfort and support. You've contributed as much to my progress as Ash did, Serena. Don't deny that."

"Oh." Serena blushed at the compliment. "Well, I guess...you're welcome, then."

Hilbert smiled at him, causing Serena's eyes to widen. That smile...it looked so much like Ash's... Maybe she was going crazy, but it was so clear to her...

_"We're alike. We were forced to live up to false expectations, we came out of our shells because of Ash, we looked up to him for encouragement and support, we were unsure of where we wanted to go in the future, and now...we've missed our chances at telling the ones we love how we truly feel about them..."_

"I know how you feel..." she whispered to herself, although Hilbert caught her voice.

"What'd you say, Serena?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing, nothing."

Serena smiled at him innocently, but just as she did, she felt something boiling inside her. It was some sort of uncontrollable emotion, one that desperately needed to burst out of her like a volcano and thrive like a newborn baby... Every second she looked at Hilbert, Serena desperately wanted to...to...

Before she knew it, she said, "Kiss me. Please."

Hilbert's eyes widened at her request, but at that point, there was no legitimate surprise present in his eyes. Instead, he looked..._complete_...

And before they knew it...they were leaning towards each other, their lips slightly puckered... Serena found herself imagining Hilbert was Ash instead...

Their lips united.

* * *

_"The sinking of that ship was a **misfire** on Sinnoh's part, and for that, it is unforgivable. But believe me, my fellow citizens, we've still accomplished something from that misfire. We have set an example to Almia regarding our border treaty. No ship shall be spared from our arms."_

–Sinnoh Prime Minister Donald A.G. Wagner, referring to the accidental sinking of the Almia passenger ship _S.S. Liberty_, which was carrying passengers from Sinnoh

* * *

**Next time on "Judgment's Fall"**

**Rosa:** There must be something I can do to help!

**Nate:** You can't possibly be serious right now!

**Unknown:** I thought I told you not to come back here.

**Curtis:** We've assembled the best of the best, sir.

**The Benefactor:** Why don't we show these Legendary Pokémon our true power?!

**Slowking:** What a mess.

**Team Rocket:** *snickers*

**Chapter 16: Fire, Ice, and Lightning**

* * *

**A/N:** OH NOES! More s**t is hitting the fan! Whatever will happen next in this cavalcade of romantic madness? You will find out in the chapter following the next one, unfortunately! For now, we'll be following the Syndicate and their megalomaniacal shenanigans in the next chapter.

And yes, this chapter did just turn into an episode out of a harem anime. XD

I'd like to thank the following for reviewing:

**Moderator:**

**1)** You're welcome. Hope you enjoy Act II!

**2)** There will be one more girl, and she'll be a special one. I don't know if there'll be any additional girls; I haven't gotten that far yet in the storyline.

**xxxSMDxxx:** I'm SO glad you loved the battle between Groudon and the Regis! Of course it had to be epic, so I threw all of my cards out on the table for that scene. Oh, and you've seen NOTHING yet with the Syndicate's acts of evil. And yes, Arceus will appear eventually in the fic. I won't say when.

**White-Falcon-06:** Thank you! I'm glad you are loving it so far! Sorry about Ash's Charizard not appearing (if that's what you were getting at there), but don't worry, it's gonna make its big debut along with all of Ash's other Pokémon later on in the story. I'm gonna say they'll appear at the beginning part of Act III, at best.

**Hero Time 18:** No. There'll be more problems to deal with now.

**EquinoxWolf:**

**1)** Oh, don't apologize. I was just pretty surprised by all of the reaction Calem and Hilda's scenes got. I know there's time to redeem their characterizations. I just did not expect this amount of negative reaction (although I guess I should've seen that coming from a mile away).

**2)** More horrors will come soon, I'll tell you. Thank you! :D

**3)** Alastair is an OC of mine, but he has a close connection to a character who hasn't appeared yet; who this character is, I won't tell you just yet for obvious reasons. Charon is one of the Team Galactic Commanders and the only one who wasn't seen arrested (hence my scenario that he escaped). Curtis is based on the character in the B2W2 games. Aliana is one of the Team Flare scientists and was mentioned in 'Prologue, Part II'. And Orlando, well...he's not an OC, I'll tell you that.

**edCOM02:**

**1)** Nothing good, obviously.

**2)** Indeed, it's a part of the female Mewtwo's characterization that I'll address later on down her road. And don't worry, that family will appear again later on.

**3)** You guessed right! I think I made it obvious the moment I described these four types. :D

**Qruis:** What does that mean?

**The Totem:**

**1)** Guess you'll have to see. ;)

**2)** Sorry about the confusion. But I hope you still enjoyed.

**Gyga (guest reviewer):** Well, the moment I saw Brandon and Maria's last scene in the Regigigas episode, I just thought to myself, 'Oh, they're gonna eventually fall in love in the line of their work and settle down'. So, I just integrated that little thought into my fic, and here we go!

**trublsmbob (guest reviewer):**

**1)** Sorry there wasn't any AmourShipping moments, but I had to get back to the Syndicate before they were forgotten. The confession will happen around the end of Act IV (yes, I know, a whole lot of waiting, forgive me). Actually, I got the whole 'Act' idea from the structure of Shakespeare's plays, although I was aware the Mega Evolution episode specials were titled that way as well.

**2)** Maybe...

**Jeremy (guest reviewer):** "Then I don't know". THAT'S where the shock value comes in. ;)

**Emily (guest reviewer):**

**1)** I know, right?! But I think they're on their way to making the show a bit more acceptable for adults. AmourShipping is a good baby-step for that, in my eyes.

**2)** You'll see...

**ajani's apprentice:**

**1)** Now you know.

**2)** Around the end of Act IV. Next time, just browse the responses I make to my reviewers at the end of every chapter if you want something to be made clear on.

**3)** Maybe it'll be major, maybe it won't be.

**4)** Thank you! :D

**5)** Don't worry, once this is done, I'm pretty sure it'll be improved. And yes, you're right.

**6)** Maybe you're close, maybe you're not... ;)

**7)** Mm-hm.

**Ejennings167:** Yes, you are gonna have to wait till Act IV. But don't worry, there'll be more AmourShipping hints as we go along. And hopefully the action and drama sequences will serve as a bit of a distraction for you while you sit and wait for the major confession to happen.

**ChE clarinetist:**

**1)** Well, I'm pretty sure people are paying attention to them, and if not, I'll just redirect them to those blurbs once the shock value becomes too much for them. And yes, the Tin Tower WILL be revisited. It's gonna be a major plot point in regards to Ash and his connection with a certain Legendary Pokémon.

**2)** You haven't seen the worst of it yet.

**3)** Awww, I'm glad that scene touched you! Thank you very much! :D

**4)** Isn't that game fun? XD

**jake97531:**

**1)** Now you've found out what happened to Mewtwo! The family somehow saved her and was taking care of her! And I'm glad you loved that scene! :D

**2)** You got that right. ;)

**Smoothi3: **Sorry if you got pretty bored with the prologue's length. I could have split it into more chapters, but that would've resulted in about four to six chapters in total and I decided I would just organize it all into two chapters in accordance to which parts had Ash in it and which parts didn't. Although I'm glad you've decided to give it another shot and now you're loving it! Hopefully you enjoy this story on your second way through! :D

**Anthrax99 (guest reviewer):** Yes, it will.

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	18. Fire, Ice, and Lightning

**A/N:** Before I begin, I would just like to spend this beginning Author's Note explaining my decision for holding off the ultimate AmourShipping confession until around the end of Act IV. Now you ask, why now? Why even spend this Author's Note explaining it? Well, people have been asking about it since the last couple of chapters or so, so I just decided to enlighten everyone. Besides, it's something that I probably should've made clear to you guys since the beginning of this story, my apologies.

Well, first thing's first, as much as I'm a big fan of AmourShipping, I dislike making it canon sooner in my stories, or even making any hints more clear-cut obvious to people. Don't worry, it's not some bias I have towards AmourShipping; this encompasses all other shippings I support as well. Many shipping fanfics I have read in my life either make their shippings canon midway through the story at best, or their hints were so obvious it got a bit annoying after a while. It's a pet peeve of mine.

Secondly, this story is not, I repeat, **NOT** just about AmourShipping. In fact, AmourShipping is actually my third priority for this story. My second priority for the story is exploring the ideals of a lot of these different characters (especially Ash's), and my first priority is thoroughly exploring the Pokémon world and trying to tie in all of these myths and legends into something I plan to use for the climax of the story. AmourShipping is what will drive these two other points, though.

Anyway, that's my reasoning for torturing all of you AmourShippers. Don't worry, there will be serious AmourShipping hints interspersed evenly along the way.

Alright, enough rambling! Now, on with the chapter. ENJOY!

**P.S.:** By the way, have any of you guys seen the trailers for the upcoming Movie 18? Man, they're really putting all of their cards on the table, just like I am! :O

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters  
Location unknown**

"Absolutely _not_."

The teenage girl's blue eyes widened in shock upon hearing Alastair's terse response. However, she did not say anything as her superior looked down at her, almost in a condescending manner. Right now, the two were located in a large office; Alastair was seated at the head of a polished wooden desk, while she was standing on the other side. Standing against three of the office walls were gigantic bookcases, filled to the brim with books of complicated titles (some of them even written in foreign languages), and stretched across the ceiling was a vast painting of a Penrose triangle, which made the girl's eyes ache every time she was tempted to look up.

All the more to add to the pressure, right?...

"I cannot have you dabbling into dangerous affairs," Alastair continued, leaning forward slightly. "Not just yet."

The girl held up a clenched fist. "But I thought my job was to help Team Plasma integrate itself comfortably into the Syndicate?!" she snapped.

"Yes, indeed it is, and you are doing a marvelous job at it. Ghetsis and Colress have adjusted better than I or even the Benefactor have expected. They trust you."

"So why can't I help lead them into battle?!"

Alastair's eyes narrowed slightly. "Your job was to integrate Team Plasma into the Syndicate. Not be one of their commanders."

With angry eyes, the girl marched forward and slammed her palms onto the surface of Alastair's desk. Her twin brown pigtails flowed violently as she did so.

"Well," she snarled, "I am getting bored, sitting around and helping incompetent Team Plasma grunts know their place. I wanna join them on the battlefield. I wanna join _you_ and all the others on the battlefield! I'm so TIRED of wandering around this place without anything better to do! I wanna-"

"For the last time," Alastair interrupted calmly, "_no_."

"There must be something I can do to help!"

"You _are_ helping, my dear." The black-haired Syndicate lieutenant leaned back on his chair, his hands clasped together. "Through your efforts in guiding Team Plasma, one of the criminal organizations vital for the Syndicate's success, in the right direction, you've given your fair contribution to our ascendancy. You've proven to all of us that even the most unexpected of persons, the underdogs, can provide an amount of good fortune to the right parties. Your mother would've been proud of you."

Upon hearing the last sentence, the girl's eyes softened. She took a step back from the desk, refusing to look at Alastair. Instead, she looked down at the red carpet.

"How would _you_ know that?" she asked in a voice that was barely above a whisper. "You didn't even _know_ her... You just looked her up on a database-"

"And yet," interrupted Alastair, again, "we raised her only daughter for the past four years. Surely we have an instinctual inkling on what she would feel about you."

"Yes, that's right." The girl looked back up at Alastair, and there were tears dripping down from her eyes. "You raised me for that long. Better than anyone else would have. And for that, I thank you..." Her eyes then lit themselves up with a newfound, fiery energy. "But please, I beg of you, Alastair, it's time for me to take the next step! I must bring pride and honor to my mother's memory, and the names of Team Plasma and the Syndicate! I must fight side by side with all of the others-"

"And you _will_." A smile appeared on Alastair's face. "You will, in due time."

* * *

"THAT BASTARD! WHO DOES HE THINK HE **IS**, MY FATHER?!"

The girl was sitting in her private quarters, kicking anything in sight. Her plastic trash can was lying on the floor, its contents scattered out against the surface, and an assortment of objects from her desk were strewn about on either her bed or the floor as well. A pillow flew as the girl focused her rage on it.

"I WANNA FIGHT!" she screamed. "I WANNA FIGHT, I WANNA FIGHT, I WANNA **FIGHT**!"

After a few minutes of trashing her room, the girl collapsed on the bed, defeated, unable to think of what else to do to express her anger at the situation. Finally, she pulled out, from underneath her shirt, the white heart-shaped locket that was hanging from her neck like a necklace. Opening it up, she gazed upon the picture of the orange-haired, blue-eyed woman who was proudly, lovingly holding the small infant in her arms. Seeing that photo brought tears to her eyes.

"M-_Mother_..." the girl whispered softly before she cradled the locket to her chest, close to her heart. "_You_ would've agreed with me, right? You would've wanted me to fight alongside the rest of the Syndicate, show them my inner strength..." She began weeping softly. "_Mother_...I miss you so much..."

Suddenly, she sensed a presence at her doorway, and the girl looked up, the tears still flowing down her face. Standing there was her first friend in the Syndicate, and the first friend that she ever had in her entire life, the one who rescued her in the first place...the one who changed her life for the better.

"Rosa?" Curtis asked curiously.

The girl smiled slightly at him. "Hello, Curtis..."

* * *

**Chapter 16: Fire, Ice, and Lightning**

* * *

**International Police Precinct A-1 Headquarters  
Location unknown**

"NATE, WAKE UP!"

Nate's eyes jerked open, and with a surprised gasp, he instantly sat up on his makeshift bed, disciplining himself into being at full attention. Quickly rubbing his eyes, the student looked towards the people standing in his room. At first, he couldn't identify them, since his eyesight was slightly blurry as it tried to adjust quickly to the fresh burst of light. Finally, after a couple of minutes, he made out the familiar forms of Looker and the rest of his teammates.

"What's going on?" he asked, trying his best to hold back a yawn.

"There's been another attack by the organization," Looker replied gravely.

Upon hearing that, Nate felt his drowsiness wearing off more quickly. "Where?"

"Snowpoint City. Regigigas, Regirock, Regice, and Registeel were the targets."

"What about Snowpoint City?" However, Nate already knew what the answer was to his question.

"Gone. No survivors."

* * *

**A half-hour later**

Before he even knew it, Nate was seated inside the same meeting room that he and the rest of his team frequented for those past few weeks. He was seated between Looker and Tedesco. Like always, there was a blank computer screen hanging from the ceiling, facing the polished oblong table they were all seated at. As he scanned his entire team, Nate began to reminisce about the momentous but chaotic series of events that transpired during the past weeks.

After Looker helped him turn in his research on the strange shifts in worldwide criminal activity to the General Assembly of the International Police, they requested to see him regarding the matter. Of course, Nate couldn't turn down the offer and met up with them. What happened next was beyond his imagination.

Not only did they approve of his research and classified it a major first step in the investigation into the jailbreaks of Teams Galactic and Plasma, but they also elected to _hire_ him as a _consultant_ in the ongoing investigation! As a result, he was working in the ranks of other high-ranking agents working for the International Police, like Looker. He had never been this excited in his entire life; to be working with such agents was a dream come true for him!

Also, because of his research, the General Assembly had to contact the major governing bodies of the Localized Law Enforcement Association, the Ranger Union, and the G-Men, and convince them to pool all of their efforts into an alliance with their organization. It took them so many weeks of tense, grueling debating with a whole lot of complicated diplomacy involved, but finally, the alliance was barely given a vote of approval just a couple of days ago. Naturally, no one was too pleased to hear such news, no matter how much of a landmark it was for history, but everyone agreed to set aside their personal and jurisdictional differences for the greater good.

With that alliance came a special team of investigators, consisting of top officers and agents representing the four policing organizations involved in the alliance. This team was dubbed, embarrassingly enough, 'The Dream Team', although the members were definitely nothing to be embarrassed about, what with their credentials.

Representing the Localized Law Enforcement Association, whose membership consisted mostly of the Officer Jennys who were assigned to supervise the policing in all of the local towns and cities, were three Jennys. One was from Goldenrod City, the second was from Nimbasa City, and the third was from Anistar City.

Sent from the Ranger Union were Rangers Jack Walker, Lunick Nega, and Solana Posi, along with Lunick and Solana's partner Pokémon Minum and Plusle respectively.

As for the G-Men, their representatives were Agents William Carson, Ellie Kingman, and Garrett Barkley.

Finally, the representatives for the International Police were Looker, Tedesco, Archer (much to the discomfort of his colleagues), and Nate himself.

As expected from a group of investigators consisting of the best agents and officers hailing from different organizations with different jurisdictions, the atmosphere of the meeting room was always uncomfortable. Today was definitely no exception for the team. The only one who didn't feel tense at all from it was Nate, who was still extremely excited from the entire prospect of being part of a historic alliance such as this, let alone being the cause of it.

Suddenly, Ellie silently stood up from her chair. As soon as she did, everyone else's eyes were trained on her. William and Garrett looked back and forth between their colleague and the others in the team. Everyone seemed to expect Ellie to commit some sort of attack against them. Physically or verbally, it did not matter.

Finally, the G-Man said calmly, "I'm just gonna get a glass of water."

Archer mumbled something faint, but William caught it.

"What did you say, Agent?" he asked sternly, his eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"Oh, nothing," replied Archer innocently.

"Don't you dare mock my colleague," Garrett snarled, standing up, his exposed arm muscles becoming more prominent. "Repeat what you just said."

Archer was about to protest in response, but Looker, sensing the escalating tension, nudged him in the arm, catching his attention.

"Just do it, Archer," he said. "We don't want things to get out of hand-"

"Does it look like things are already out of hand, _Looker_?" Archer interrupted.

"Archer, do it," replied Nate tersely.

"Don't you dare tell me what to do, boy!"

"Archer," Tedesco piped, "don't make me kick your ass before you repeat yourself to our guests."

Archer rolled his eyes and prepared to respond to Tedesco's threat with a witty remark. After all, there was no way he was going to admit defeat, especially to people who were on _his_ jurisdiction. However, the semiretired agent suddenly felt Looker's eyes boring into him seriously. Knowing that he'd be likely to agree with Tedesco's threat, he knew he had no choice but to acquiesce. So, he glanced at the G-Men with a hard, bitter stare that was accompanied by a brief but deadly silence.

Finally, Archer said, looking at Ellie, "When you said you wanted to go get a glass of water, I said to that, 'You mean the International Police's water'."

"You DARE say that to Ellie?!" snapped Garrett. As for William, he stood up violently from his chair, knocking it over in the process.

"Well," replied Archer, smirking triumphantly, "I am right, aren't I?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" William snarled savagely.

"Well, you guys _are_ in the top headquarters complex of the International Police. You are on _our_ turf. Everything you use technically belongs to _us_."

"And you are investigating _our_ cases," Ellie replied angrily. "All of the info you have on them come from _us_."

"Same with us," Jack Walker added as he stood up from his chair. However, he was scanning both the G-Men and the International Police agents.

"And us too!" snapped the Officer Jenny from Nimbasa City. "Don't forget that."

"Do we look _stupid_ to you?!" exclaimed Tedesco, feeling offended. "Of course we know those are your cases!"

"Then stop acting like you guys have a superior right over them. Do you have any idea how many hours Pokémon Rangers spent, compiling all of that information?!"

"Hey, we empathize with you and all your hard work," Looker said. "We've spent a similar amount of time working on our cases. Don't think we are trying to take over your cases, because we are trying to solve our cases." He scanned the entire table. "We cannot blind ourselves to jurisdictional bias and prejudice. Now when there is an organization out there, recruiting other criminal organizations, including ours. If those organizations can work together to commit the most atrocious crimes, then why can't we work together to catch them?" He closed his eyes. "If we wanna stop them, I suggest we sit down and remain quiet until the General Assembly arrives."

"For that," a voice said, "you do not have to worry about that pressing matter anymore, Looker."

The entire Dream Team came to full attention as President Charlotte Durant and the rest of the General Assembly stepped into the meeting room. They were followed by a female secretary who was carrying several marked files containing paperwork that were no doubt of the highest importance.

"I can't believe you are all bickering _again_," Charlotte continued sternly. "We called you the Dream Team because you are the best agents and officers this alliance has to offer. You were our ace for leading this Arceus-damn mess of an investigation! But you guys can't get along because of what, your jurisdictions?! Ridiculous, simply ridiculous, not to mention embarrassing." She scanned the entire Dream Team as everyone blushed in embarrassment. "Please prove me wrong on that assumption."

All of the members of the Dream Team remained silent. Charlotte looked at the secretary and nodded at her, prompting her to pass out all the files she was holding.

"What're these?" asked the Goldenrod City Officer Jenny.

"Files containing all of information we have on the Snowpoint City attack," Charlotte replied.

"So," Solana said, "what's the official summary?"

"Just like all the other attacks. The city caught in the crossfire was completely destroyed, with no survivors. Like always, there's a media blackout on the incident and a barricade has been set up around the area. In case the media gets a hold of Snowpoint City's destruction, we will have the cover story that a devastating avalanche occurred, burying the entire city. Attempts to track down where the perpetrators might've gone have ended in failure."

"They definitely have a foolproof way of covering their tracks..." William said. "Fifteen attacks that we know of so far, and we still have no way of knowing where they could've gone afterwards. But there's no way they could've been able to get away from crimes of such magnitude for this long. They must have inside help."

"It's definitely a possibility," replied Archer, a noticeable sour tone in his voice.

"So, Regigigas and the Regi trio were the targets this time?" asked Lunick.

"Yes," a General Assembly member replied.

"This is where things turn around," Charlotte added.

At that moment, Looker spotted what the president was talking about in his file. "They...They were _using_ a _Legendary Pokémon_?"

"Yes. Groudon, to be exact."

"WHAT?!" shouted the entire Dream Team at once.

"We don't have a record of these guys getting their hands on _Groudon_," the Goldenrod City Jenny said. "Since when did they get one?!"

"The information escapes us at the moment," replied Charlotte.

"Says here Groudon was sent out the moment they awakened Regigigas," Looker announced. "At that point, it was the only Pokémon they used against them."

"That makes sense," Ellie replied. "Sinnoh legend says that Regigigas towed the continents... However, Hoenn legend says that Groudon created these continents and has jurisdiction over the creation of all landmasses. Looking at both of these legends, one would say that without Groudon, Regigigas wouldn't have existed. I guess it comes with a perception of Groudon being more superior over Regigigas and the Regi trio in terms of power." Her eyes narrowed. "These guys certainly know all their myths and legends, and also how to apply them in their captures. With that kind of knowledge at hand, it's really disconcerting..."

"What really concerns me is how these people seem to be moving up in their captures in terms of power," piped Jack.

"What do you mean, Jack?" Solana asked, an eyebrow arched.

"Well, look at all of their captures for the most part. First, they have been targeting small Legendary Pokémon: Jirachi, Shaymin, Victini, Phione, Meloetta. Then, they moved on to larger prey: Cresselia, Heatran, the Swords of Justice. Now, they are going after Legendary Pokémon with vital roles in their regional myths and legends. First, the Forces of Nature, then Groudon apparently, and now Regigigas and the Regi trio? It's like they are _practicing_ till the real thing. It won't be long until they go after extremely powerful Legendary Pokémon like Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Reshiram, and Zekrom! Maybe even..."

"Yeah, he's right," Lunick replied. "As long as we keep sitting here, looking over photos and paperwork, they are out there, probably wrangling Arceus as we speak!"

"If only we had more info..." said Looker somberly.

"Who cares about info?! We need to act as soon as possible! The well-being of the entire planet is in danger! Think of all the lives that could be lost!"

Tedesco glared at Lunick and said, "We _are_ thinking about the consequences, Pokémon Ranger." He then slid all of his photos of crime scenes across the table towards Lunick, which definitely weren't helpful. "But if we don't have more substantial evidence, then we do not have a lead on where these guys might possibly be."

"Well, guess how much time we're gonna lose while finding more evidence!" Solana snapped. "By the time we get that much evidence, the world might be ending!"

"The Localized Law Enforcement Association agrees," the Anistar City Jenny said. "We must make the lives of the people and Pokémon we're protecting our priority!"

"Wasn't that the point of this Dream Team?" asked Looker. "Of course we know that! But how are we supposed to get a lead on the evidence we have right now?"

"I agree," William replied, nodding in approval. "We need more time to find evidence."

"Even if it means having another city being attacked?" Jack asked.

"If it'll provide us with more substantial evidence, then unfortunately, yes. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

"What the hell kind of a saying is THAT?!" the Nimbasa City Jenny snapped.

"From some TV show."

"Alright, that is _enough_!" Charlotte cried, cutting off the argument before it could go any further. "I don't want any bickering during this assignment, especially among the Dream Team!" She violently slammed her hand down on the table. "The International Police, along with all of the other organizations in this alliance, have already faced enough embarrassment to last us a lifetime! Now I want you to focus back on what's important: capturing these criminals! We'll deal with what's next later on!"

"...Yes, ma'am..." chorused the Dream Team, with the exception of Nate, who appeared to be lost in thought. Charlotte took quick notice of this.

"Something wrong, Brown?" she asked.

However, Nate wasn't paying attention. As a result, Looker had to nudge the student's shoulder to catch his attention.

"Huh?" the boy cried, looking around. "Wha-What? I'm paying attention!"

"Is something wrong, Brown?" Charlotte repeated.

"Oh no, nothing's wrong, Mrs. President!" Nate flashed an innocent smile at the woman. "Everything's all fine!"

However, the stern woman frowned with suspicion. "...Young man, I'm the head of one of the most prestigious law enforcement agencies in the world. Don't you dare even think for a _second_ that I will be convinced by a childish smile such as that. Now tell me, what is the matter? You've been distant this entire meeting."

Nate's smile faded, and he asked, "How many people live in Snowpoint City?..."

"I don't think an answer will be necessary-"

"Tell me. I _have_ to know."

Charlotte hesitated for a moment before replying, "Over 4,000 people."

"Oh..." The boy looked down at his file sadly. "So, 4,000-plus families just lost a loved one...and we couldn't do a thing about it..."

"Nate, don't blame yourself," Looker said. "There's nothing we could've done to stop these people from doing what they did-"

"Oh really, Looker? This is the fifteenth, maybe sixteenth attack committed by this organization, and we have over a hundred thousand people dead already! We have all of this time to catch them, and yet, we've barely gotten anywhere with the investigation! How many more people are gonna die before we catch them? A hundred thousand more? A million more? Maybe a _billion_ more?... And furthermore, how come we haven't alerted the public already to this?! Nine cities and towns are already destroyed, but we're not gonna share any sort of information to the media? Instead, we're giving cock-bull cover stories for what really happened?!"

"If we alert the public about these disasters and who's perpetrating them," Archer replied, "then there'll be worldwide panic. Social order will be shattered in seconds. Chaos of unspeakable measure will reign in all of the regions of the world." He scoffed smugly. "Basic stuff, Mr. Brown. I thought you remembered my first lesson..."

"Shut up, Archer, you're not helping," snapped Looker. Then, he looked back at Nate. "Insults aside, Archer's right, Nate. If we tell the public what's going on, there'll be widespread panic. People will no longer trust us, since we're already doing a terrible job at tracking down this organization. Who's to say this organization will take advantage of that?" He patted the student's shoulder. "Trust me, I don't like it either. However, I agree that it's better if we keep this under wraps."

"But it's not right!" Nate stood up from his chair. "People are going about on their ordinary, typical lifestyles, not knowing that there's a real threat on the horizon? It's unnerving, not to mention downright unethical! Tell me, is there anything you guys covered up while I was still a student? Maybe even before that?"

"That's top-secret information," a General Assembly member replied.

However, Nate's eyes narrowed. "Now _that_ just tells me you guys _did_ cover up something before."

"We were looking out for what was best for the public," Charlotte replied.

"No, I bet you just covered it up to avoid any potential embarrassment that would result if it went public! Just like you're doing with the Dream Team's arguing!"

The woman's eyes narrowed, and her nostrils were flared. "You're _really_ crossing a line here, Mr. Brown. I urge you to restrain yourself."

"Yes, Mr. Brown," another General Assembly member added. "You should be lucky we've allowed you, a mere Academy freshman, access to sensitive information."

"You can't possibly be serious right now!" Nate stomped his foot down on the floor angrily. "You're gonna give me a lecture, all because you guys are just cowards?!"

"Okay now, that's enough," piped Looker, standing up and placing a hand on Nate's shoulder. "We're leaving."

"What?! Why?!"

"To prevent you from blowing a fuse and getting yourself kicked out of the Dream Team." The agent looked at Charlotte and bowed. "Excuse us..."

Looker began escorting the fuming Nate out of the meeting room, feeling everyone's eyes boring into him as he did so. Once the two of them stepped directly through the doorway and its door slammed itself shut, the student suddenly glared up at him with a furious expression.

"What was that for?!" he snapped.

"Well, you were one word away from getting yourself kicked out of the Dream Team and this investigation, not to mention imprisoned for an indefinite time."

"Why the hell would I be _imprisoned_? For being _right_?!"

"No, for having learned sensitive information on an ongoing International Police investigation."

"Sensitive information, my _ass_." Nate looked away, pouting. "President Durant and the General Assembly are just embarrassed they're being shown off by a _kid_."

"Maybe they are, or maybe they are not. I don't know what they're thinking, nor do I ever want to for the sake of my job. Nevertheless, this is a very fragile situation, one that could involve the potential end of the world. What do you think would happen if the public got a hold of that kind of information?"

Nate hesitated for a moment before replying, "Panic..."

"That's right, Nate. Now, imagine the public going into a panic on a global level. Rioting, looting, vandalism, destruction, chaos."

The student's eyes softened as soon as the disturbing scenario came to his head. However, he wasn't respond, prompting Looker to continue.

"Surely your father wouldn't want that to happen, right?"

Nate's eyes narrowed upon hearing the reference to his father. Ever since he was a child, he'd always imagined him to be a noble, courageous, compassionate person, who would prioritize the lives of innocent people above his own and find any way to ensure their safety. That was what he always loved about his father...

"You're...You're right..."

"First rule of the International Police is to protect the public and maintain order at any cost. Surely that's something you were taught on your first day of class, right?"

Nate looked away in embarrassment. "Yes, that's right..."

"Yes, keeping everything hush-hush from the public is risky, but it's either that or the chaos I just described. It's your choice."

"No, I understand now. It's just..." Nate looked back up at Looker. "Doesn't the public have a right to know what's going on?"

"Yes, they do, but sometimes, the truth hurts. That's why we've thought it would be necessary if we just ordered these media blackouts."

The student sighed heavily. "I guess it's for the best..."

"Trust me, I don't like this idea either, but it is indeed for the best. Whether they know it or not, innocent people need our help. So, let's just get back in the meeting room and continue on this investigation before the organization strikes again." The agent patted Nate's back. "Remember, we have many lives to save."

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters  
Location unknown**

Brandon desperately kept punching and kicking the steel bars of his cell with all of his might, all the while screaming at the top of his lungs. He was punching the bars so aggressively that his knuckles were already bleeding, some of the blood even dripping on the floor. His cellmates, Maria and Samuel, watched on helplessly.

**"LET US OUT RIGHT NOW!"** Brandon hollered for the umpteenth time, his voice extremely hoarse. **"LET US OUT! AND GIVE ME MY LITTLE GIRL BACK! NOW!"**

"Brandon, _please_..." Maria moaned, but her husband ignored her and kept screaming out to the heavens, expecting a response from their captors.

**"YOU THINK YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH THIS?! YOU THOUGHT _WRONG_, YOU BASTARDS! LET US _OUT_!"**

"Oh my _Arceus_, can you _please_ be quiet?..." another voice moaned.

The three glanced at their neighbors in the cell on the left. Inside were four people, who identified themselves as Luka, Ridley, Butler, and Butler's wife Diane.

"I'm trying to sleep..." continued Luka as she covered her ears. "Besides, it's not like they're gonna listen to you..."

"You can't be _serious_ about letting these villains get away with all of these atrocities!" snapped Brandon furiously.

"She's right..." Butler replied sadly as Diane laid her head on his shoulder. "These people...they're unstoppable, especially with Groudon on their side..."

Brandon growled and looked at Ridley, but remembered that he was not going to say absolutely anything. The man, who claimed to be the guardian and friend of one of the Legendary Pokémon that was captured, apparently called Meloetta, hadn't said anything at all ever since he made his introductions.

Then, the former Pyramid King glared at the cage that was in front of his. Inside were four more people: Damon, his mother Juanita, his sister Carlita, and the family friend Mannes. However, the four were all solemnly looking down at the floor in defeat, apparently having just resolved to do nothing as well. The same went for their neighbors inside the cell on their right, two families from what was called the People of the Vale, which Damon, Juanita, Carlita, and Mannes belonged to as well.

"Are...Are you all seriously _giving up_?!" Brandon exclaimed in disgust.

"What can we do?" Damon replied. "They have Victini, your Pokémon, and Arceus knows how many other Legendaries hostage, ready to do their bidding. It's over-"

"No, it's not over! It's never over until we SAY it's over!"

"Well, I say it's over..." Luka moaned as she adjusted herself on her makeshift bed.

"So do I," Butler added in agreement.

"Same here," replied Mannes.

"As do we," said one of the tribe leaders as he held onto his daughter, Luisa.

"We all don't _think_ its over," the other tribe leader said, her grip tightening on her son Luis's hand. "We _know_ it's over-"

"Well, _I_ know it's not over!" interrupted Brandon savagely. "You are all just cowards, not willing to stand up for what you KNOW is right!"

"Brandon, _please_ just-" Maria began.

"No, don't you 'please' me, Maria!" The former Frontier Brain twirled around and stared down his wife. "Don't you realize what you're _saying_?! These villains have not only taken Regigigas and the other Regis, but also _Emilia_! Arceus knows where they've taken her! Don't you wanna break free and go save our daughter?!"

"I wish I could, Brandon, but..." The woman looked down at the floor, her eyes dripping with tears. "I agree with everyone else... It's over..." When Brandon remained silent, she continued solemnly, "I sincerely wish it wasn't over, Brandon, but there's no other option available to us. We cannot fight back without being overpowered."

"MARIA!" roared Brandon. "HOW COULD YOU **SAY** THIS?! ARE YOU SERIOUSLY THINKING ABOUT **ABANDONING** OUR DAUGHTER?!"

"Does it look like I want to DO that, Brandon?!" shouted Maria. "Of COURSE I am thinking about our Emilia! Day and night, I worry about what they are doing to her!"

"Then why don't you wish to fight back against our captors?! Save our _daughter_, for Arceus's sake?!"

Maria pursed her lips. "I will not repeat my reasoning to you for the millionth time, Brandon. I can only pray to Arceus that Emilia is being treated well by them-"

**"WELL, ARCEUS WILL NEVER LISTEN TO THOSE PRAYERS BECAUSE OF HOW _DISGUSTINGLY COWARDLY_ THEY ARE! I CAN'T _BELIEVE_ YOU, MARIA!"**

"Hey, Brandon," Samuel piped, standing up, "please, calm down-"

"DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME TO CALM DOWN, HOME-WRECKER!"

"What?!" Samuel's eyes widened. "_Home-wrecker_?! What in Arceus's name are you talking about, Brandon sir?!"

"Oh, you know what I'm talking about!" Brandon stomped towards his assistant, giving him a deadly stare. "I know all about your _friendly nature_ with my wife."

"M-Ma-_Maria_?..." Samuel instinctively looked from Brandon to Maria and back. "B-Br-Brandon, I-I have _no_-"

"Oh, Maria told me _everything_ about you two."

"Brandon, he doesn't know-" began Maria.

"Oh, of course he knows!" interrupted Brandon. His eyelid was twitching rapidly now. "Why else would he return your advances so obviously?!"

"Look, Brandon sir," Samuel said, "she's just a friend to me and nothing more-"

"Yeah, I've heard that before." Brandon shot a nasty look at Maria before turning away. "I can't believe this is happening to the likes of me..."

Maria and Samuel didn't respond. Instead, they only looked at Brandon with worried expressions, as did everyone else in the neighboring cells.

* * *

**International Police Precinct A-1 Headquarters  
Location unknown  
****Several hours later**

"Ahhhhh, this _sucks_!"

With a frustrated groan, Tedesco leaned back on his chair, clutching the sides of his head. The rest of the Dream Team were also in similar positions of discomfort, all either looking at their files in a rather unsuccessful attempt to get themselves invested with the information, lying their heads on the table in semiconscious states, or pacing absentmindedly around the room in circles. The only one who was still devotedly reading his file was none other than Nate, his eyes scanning every paper.

"This is the worst case ever," Jack moaned as he raised his head from the table. "Hours of looking through that file over and over, with nothing to work on."

"Come on, guys!" exclaimed Nate, not looking up from his file. "We can't give up now! Think of all the lives that are at stake! The schemes these guys are cooking!"

"Cooking," William replied, scoffing. "Now that's a word you don't hear nowadays-"

"You guys can't possibly be giving up at a time like this!"

"Well, _you're_ the one who got most of the information on this organization compiled together," replied the Goldenrod City Jenny. "Why don't you enlighten us?"

"Yeah," Ellie added. "Tell us what we're missing, boy genius."

Nate looked up from his file, his brown eyes narrowed. "Hey, I don't appreciate that tone, guys." He fleetingly glanced at his file. "Anyway, the thing we are obviously missing is exactly _how_ do these people manage to lose us before we even have a chance to track them. What's their secret?"

"There are only two options," Looker replied. "One, they've managed to get their hands on a cloaking device that somehow evades all tracking technology. Of course, we would all be the first to know if such a device even _exists_ and there's no such contraption in our databases, so that's a no-go."

"They might've invented one in secret," suggested Lunick. "After all, this organization can apparently do everything. Why not invent such a device?"

"That's a possibility," Tedesco said. "If that's the case, then we're screwed, because we won't have any base to go off on when we actually do get a hold of them."

"Yeah, we already discussed that."

"What about the second option?" asked the Anistar City Jenny, looking at Looker.

"Well," he replied, "the second option would have to be they're using some sort of unconventional means of transportation. One we would never expect."

"Like what, exactly?"

"Well, if I had an idea, then it wouldn't be something we would never expect, now would it?"

"Don't you dare mock her!" shouted the Nimbasa City Jenny, standing up from her chair defensively.

"Come on, guys, let's not fight again!" Nate shouted as he stood up from his own chair. "We can't afford to have President Durant breathing down our necks again!"

Jenny sighed angrily and reluctantly nodded before sitting back down. In the meantime, the Goldenrod City Jenny lowered her file and looked at Nate.

"By the way, kid," she said, "how _did_ you get all of this information again? This is way too detailed for something that was assembled together by a student."

"Yeah," Solana added. "You definitely didn't use the PCR to get all of this, I'll tell you."

Nate chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head innocently. He and Looker knew for a fact that Charlotte and the General Assembly had never informed the Localized Law Enforcement Association, the G-Men, and the Ranger Union that he had contacts hack into their databases to find the more necessary information. The two agreed that doing so would already serve as a major breach of trust in the already-destabilizing alliance between the four organizations.

"Well," he replied, "I did a lot of researching and found myself some contacts who gave me the info."

"Contacts," said Lunick. "Contacts in the _Ranger Union_?"

"And the Localized Law Enforcement Association?" added the Goldenrod City Jenny.

"And the _G-Men_?" Garrett added. "Yeah, no way."

Nate chuckled again. "If it makes you guys feel any better, they never identified themselves by name. They looked trustworthy, and I listened to them. That's all!"

"If you insist..." Solana replied, though her eyes were narrowed in suspicion, which caused Nate to begin sweating.

Fortunately for him, Looker stood up and said, "I think it's time we all took a break. We're exhausting our minds looking at these files."

"Yeah," added Tedesco as he stretched. "I think we should look at this with fresh new minds. Shall we reconvene in a few hours?"

"Sounds like a fine plan..." William replied, although he was still looking at Nate.

_"Crap,"_ the student thought as he continued smiling. _"They're starting to catch on! This won't be good..."_

* * *

**The headquarters cafeteria**

"That was some nice evasion there, Nate."

"Aw, shut up."

Nate and Looker were seated at a small table located near the center of the cafeteria, which was occupied by dozens of other International Police agents. Tedesco and Archer had taken to eating at their own tables, and there was no one else sharing Nate and Looker's table, so they were all alone and able to converse freely.

"You know," Nate said after finishing another bite of sushi, "I'm still confused about how these guys are able to snatch a Legendary Pokémon and hightail it so quickly. I just can't stop thinking about it." The student took a small sip from his soft drink. "Do you think that's even possible, Looker?"

"Normally, not really," replied Looker, not looking at Nate as he finished the last of his spaghetti. "But considering they have the methods, resources, and information from dozens of criminal organizations pooled together, I'm pretty sure they managed to figure out something efficient. I will have to admit, these guys are good."

The two were silent as they continued eating the food they purchased. Then, after a few minutes passed, Looker's eyes brightened, and he looked up at Nate.

"Hey, Nate, you remember Julio Songer, right?"

"Of course I do." Nate looked around warily to see if anyone was listening before continuing, "If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have the info we've got on the case."

"Do you think you could get into contact with him again?"

The student's eyes widened. "What?! Why?!"

"If we don't have anything on the organization, then perhaps Songer and his guys managed to find something we missed."

"You know how Songer doesn't trust any sort of government. What makes you think he'll gladly give us the information we need, Looker?"

"I'm not the one getting into contact with him." Looker's lips curved into a crafty smile. "You are."

Nate scoffed. "Yeah, I think that's a no-go..."

"And why is that, Nate?"

"Well, it was very difficult getting into contact with Songer in the first place. I didn't even actually meet him in _person_."

"Well, of course not. But how'd you get in touch with him?"

"I found a courier who delivered my messages for me."

"So, why don't we go to that person, then?"

"Well, he's definitely a bit of a paranoid loon. As soon as I had everything I needed, he told me to never come back for anything ever **AGAIN**. He said it was too risky, especially if the government somehow got their hands on me. Once he sees me at his doorstep, only Arceus knows what comes next."

Looker's eyes narrowed. "Well, we're gonna have to try, Nate. Remember, there are lives at stake."

"I know that, Looker!" Nate buried his face in his palms as he moaned. "But he's not gonna believe that. He'll think it's some government conspiracy or something."

"Well, think, Nate! How'd you get that guy to trust you in the first place?"

"I lied to him, told him I had info that the Sinnoh government was aware Sinnoh citizens were aboard the _S.S. Liberty_ long before they sunk it."

The senior agent rolled his eyes. "Ah, the things these goons will believe nowadays." He then gave Nate a hard stare. "Well then, tell him you have more info on some lame-ass conspiracy theory and that you will give it to him in exchange for more of his services. Surely he'll fall for that, right?"

"Only if it's something really, _really_ good. He won't be convinced by just about anything I pull out of my butt."

"Okay..." Looker placed a finger on his chin as he delved into his thoughts. "Let's see, what can you say to him?" Then, he snapped his fingers and smiled. "I got it!"

* * *

**Sandgem Town  
****An hour later**

_**"I never knew this guy was in driving distance of the International Police headquarters. How surprising, not to mention ironic."**_

The lonely house located on the area bordering Sandgem Town and the nearby forest was terribly dilapidated, devoid of any sort of attention. It was exactly how Nate remembered it when he was last there. The student took a deep breath before walking up the doorsteps, which creaked eerily.

_**"Trust me, these people are everywhere, even near our institutions. Believe me, this guy is the best of them I could pick out."**_

_**"Ah."**_

Just like the first time he came to that house, Nate glanced at the doorbell only to see there was a hole where it should've been. Remembering what he was supposed to do instead, the student knocked on the door five times in a noticeable pattern. He then heard a few voices speaking from inside the house.

Nate scratched his forehead before glancing at the file tucked underneath his armpit. He pursed his lips at the sight of it.

_**"What's this, Looker?"**_

_**"Paperwork that confirms the assassination of Unova Prime Minister Jack K. Fennade was committed by Sinnoh assassins instead of a sympathizer."**_

_**"Is this actually legitimate?"**_

_**"Heh, of course not. You think I would let you give that crap to him if it were real?"**_

_**"...I guess not."**_

"I thought I told you not to come back here."

Nate yelped out in surprise upon seeing the man standing in front of him at the doorway. He was a tall, fat man with pearly-pale skin, dark-green eyes, stringy orange hair at his temples, and a bushy beard and mustache. He was wearing thick rectangular glasses, khaki shorts, and an orange shirt with a white outline of a Mareep, a red cancel sign over it, and a caption underneath that read 'I AM NOT A MAREEP!' The man's eyes narrowed suspiciously at the sight of Nate.

"He-Hello, Glenn," greeted Nate, waving at him casually.

"Oh, lovely," the man replied. "You come to my doorstep, wave at me like some brainwashed loser, and say hello to me. I'm assuming the government got you-"

"No, they didn't. I wasn't found, I swear!"

"Mm-hm." Glenn began looking around the street, his eyes wide and his nostrils flared. "And, uh, what's that car over there?"

Nate followed the direction Glenn was looking at and saw he was looking at an unoccupied black sedan. The student struggled to contain his laughter; Looker dropped him off in a white van that was now parked near Professor Rowan's laboratory a couple of blocks away. He was assured on that.

"Some random car, dude." Nate looked back at Glenn. "I swear, I don't know who it belongs to-"

"Liar. Mareep!"

"Hold on, hold on, Glenn!" The student took the file out from his arms and flashed it in front of the conspiracy theorist's face. "See this?"

"Yeah, it's a file. Lemme guess, if I tear that open, it'll trigger sleeping gas contained inside so the New World Order agents will have no trouble in tackling me."

"No, it is a file I managed to get my hands on." Nate tore it open, took out some of its contents, and gave it to Glenn. "I had a feeling your welcome wagon would be like this, so I brought this. It took a lot of sweat, blood, and tears for me to get a hold of this file and sneak it out of my school."

As soon as Glenn finished scanning the papers, his eyes widened in shock, and a smile came onto his face.

"This evidence...it's...it's _revolutionary_!" he exclaimed. "Totally Olympian!"

Nate nodded subtly. "You're welcome."

Glenn then stared down at Nate again. "Well, I guess you are safe and still not a Mareep." The man took the file from the student's hands. "But if you are here to get back into contact with Julio, then forget about it. There's a new contact shift at hand, and Julio's lying low after that whole leak about what happened on March 29th."

"But I need to get back in touch with him. It's an emergency!"

"Quiet!" Glenn looked out of his doorway again before ushering Nate inside. "Let's continue this inside. The bugged Starly are back."

Nate heard some faint chirping before Glenn closed the door. Then, he was escorted inside a room filled with about a dozen advanced computers, with wires strewn all over the floor. Operating these computers were two other men, one with dark skin and curly black hair, the other with long dirty-blond hair and wearing a cap.

"Hey, Biff, Lenny," greeted Glenn. "You remember Nate, right?"

"You mean the guy who gave us the bogus info on _S.S. Liberty_?" asked the dark-skinned man.

"Hey, believe me!" Nate lied. "I never double-checked my sources, Biff!"

"Guys, guys, let's go easy on him!" Glenn exclaimed defensively. "He's got us new info!"

"On what?" the cap-wearing man asked.

"The Fennade assassination. Sinnoh really _was_ behind it."

The eyes of the two men widened in shock.

"What, really?!" cried the dark-skinned man.

"No way," said the cap-wearing man.

"It's the real deal, Biff, Lenny. It's got the International Police seal and everything. And now, Nate apparently wants to get back in touch with Julio."

The man named Biff scoffed. "Yeah, good luck with that, man," he said.

"Julio's not gonna talk to anyone after he made his newest leak," added Lenny. "Not for the time being anyway."

"That is _exactly_ what I was telling him!" exclaimed Glenn. "But he claims it's an _emergency_!"

"How do we know if he's not lying?" Lenny asked, standing up and approaching Nate, who began sweating. "Look at that! He's sweating like a Tepig!"

"Come on, guys," Nate said, "I just wanna learn from Julio if it's possible to capture a Legendary Pokémon and then go off the grid minutes later!"

A silence fell upon the room, and Nate's sweating intensified. He hoped he didn't wander into sensitive territory for Glenn, Biff, and Lenny.

Finally, after a while, Glenn replied, "Wh-What'd you say?"

_"Oh, crap,"_ thought Nate. _"I think I've done it this time... Good Arceus, how am I gonna crawl my way outta this?!"_

Before the situation could get anymore tense, there was a sudden explosion, followed by loud, rapid marching sounds. The entire room was then illuminated by bright flashlights seconds later. Nate and Glenn shielded their eyes from the light, while Biff and Lenny screamed as they took cover underneath the desks.

"POKEMON RANGERS, WE HAVE A WARRANT!" a voice barked.

"WHAT THE- OOF!" Glenn was suddenly tackled to the ground by a Pokémon Ranger. "YOU CAN'T ARREST ME! I KNOW MY ARCEUS-DAMN RIGHTS!"

"Hey!" Lenny squealed as two Rangers grabbed him and Biff. "Get your hands off me!"

"Wh-What-What's going on?!" exclaimed Nate in surprise as he watched several other Rangers enter the room and begin inspecting the computers. Then, he frowned and faced the Ranger who announced their presence. "Hey, you tell me what in the world's happening this instant! I'm with the International Police and I demand to-"

"You're with WHAT?!" shouted Glenn as he was being lifted on his feet by two Rangers.

"I **KNEW** IT!" Biff screamed. "I **KNEW** THAT KID WAS A TRAITOR AND A MAREEP, EVER SINCE HE GAVE US THAT INFO ON _S.S. LIBERTY_-"

"Oh Biff, shut the hell up!" interrupted Lenny desperately. "You're gonna give away our damn position!"

"No one said you can talk," the lead Ranger snarled before showing Nate his ID and badge. "Ranger Kate. I'm leading the operation to capture these three hackers."

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters  
Location unknown**

Alastair strolled briskly into the large exercise room, where six people were training themselves and their Pokémon. Accompanying him was Charon, who was rubbing his hands together deviously, and a Team Aqua grunt, who was carrying a large box. Supervising the six was Curtis, who was holding a clipboard and a pencil.

"Hello, Curtis," greeted Alastair as he approached the young man. "How'd it go with Rosa?"

"Oh, I managed to get her back on track," Curtis replied. "She should be fine."

"Good." Alastair then glanced at the six people training their Pokémon. "And how about our respected guests?"

"We've assembled the best of the best, sir. They have proven themselves efficient in their training and methods. They will do as the Syndicate's elite hunter force."

"Of course they will."

Alastair then began scanning the six people the Syndicate had sought out and hired. He first focused on a tall, extremely thin man with gangling arms and rather long stringy green hair that was covering his left eye completely while casting his right eye in shadow. This man was training his Beedrill, which had its left stinger broken.

_"Copper,"_ thought the Syndicate lieutenant. _"Bug- and Poison-type specialist. Captures his targets by incapacitating them through poison served in clever ways."_

Then, Alastair glanced at the large, muscular man who was training a Steelix. _"Marks, the Bully. Uses brute strength during his captures, which he emphasizes above all else. In fact, he has been known to brutalize his targets beyond what is expected from his clients. Very formidable in battle."_

Next was a woman with yellow hair who was wearing yellow-and-black-striped clothing. She was training an Ampharos that appeared smaller than usual ones.

_"Elena, Electric-type specialist. Uses electricity to her advantage during hunts. Has caused more than a few blackouts in cities and towns while on assignment."_

After Elena was a bald, stout man wearing a blue-and-white-striped kimono, who was meditating with his Medicham. _"Kelling, Psychic-type specialist and martial arts master. Unusually calm and collected for a Pokémon Poacher. Never gives up on an assignment, even if he's taken off it. His calmness has disturbed many."_

Following that was a man with spiky red hair who was wearing clothing colored in many shades of red, orange, and yellow. He was training a Shiny Houndoom.

_"Ferno, the Blazing Inferno. Part Dark-type specialist, part Fire-type specialist, full pyromaniac. Has destroyed many forests and structures while trying to capture his targets. He once burnt down an entire thirty-story apartment building while trying to capture a mere Shiny Rotom. The only reason he still has that job is because of his connections in the Pokémon black market, as his father is a top auctioneer of rare and endangered Pokémon species."_

Finally, Alastair focused on the gray-haired, blue-eyed woman wearing wearing a purple trench-coat, a red long-sleeved shirt, red pants, and red gloves. This woman was easy to recognize with her robotic left arm, outfitted with a cannon-like device. She was riding atop her Salamence, which roared loudly as it landed on the floor.

_"J, the ace in the hole of our elite hunter force. Once the go-to Pokémon Hunter in the business, she was defeated two years ago during a job. Now that she's back in the world, let's see how well she can adjust to the passed time, and if she still retains her legendary capturing skills and capabilities."_

"Hello, Alastair sir," greeted Kelling as he opened his eyes. "A pleasure to see you again."

Alastair bowed slightly. "The pleasure is mine," he replied.

As soon as the other five Pokémon Poachers noticed Alastair's presence, they converged around him and the others. J stepped forward, smiling warmly in greeting.

"Seeing you are here," she said, "I assume it's time."

The black-haired man nodded, smiling. "Indeed, it is time."

"So, what's our first mission, sir?" asked Elena.

"Well," Alastair explained in response, "we are on our way to the Orange Islands, specifically Fire, Ice, and Lightning Islands, the resting places of the Legendary Bird Pokémon Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos. You are to awaken all three of them and then capture them. There is a high chance they'll not only fight you, but each other, so take that opportunity to further weaken them. During the battle, the Great Guardian of the Sea, Lugia, will rise to stop you and quell the fighting."

"And I assume we will have to capture Lugia as well, am I correct?" replied Marks.

"Indeed, you are right, Marks. So, before I move on, any questions?" When Copper raised his hand, Alastair pointed at him. "Yes, Copper?"

"You gave our team a name," the Poison-type specialist said. "What was it again?"

Alastair smirked triumphantly. "The Syndicate Seven."

"But...aren't there _six_ of us?..." asked Ferno. The other five Poachers all nodded in agreement.

"Yes, that is correct. Don't worry, you'll be joined by one of my subordinates. He's not a Poacher, but I believe he will still be an important asset to the team."

"If you insist, Alastair sir," J replied. Then, she noticed the box the Team Aqua grunt was carrying. "What's that?"

"Oh, the box? Well, I would like to call it your secret weapons." He looked at the grunt. "Open it up and show it to them."

The grunt nodded and approached the six Pokémon Poachers. Once she had their attention, she opened up the box, displaying its contents.

"Mega Stones and Key Stones," Alastair explained. "That is why I had you all spend the last few hours training with your Pokémon: to hone your bond between them. And now, it's evident you're all ready. Equip yourselves with the Key Stones, attach the Mega Stones on to your partner Pokémon, and with these two combined, you will be completely able to Mega Evolve them, thus boosting their strength and endurance. This will allow you all to fight the Legendary Pokémon."

The six Pokémon Poachers smiled at Alastair in thanks before receiving their respective Key Stones and Mega Stones and equipping them. As they did, the Sun began glowing even brighter through the ceiling window above, illuminating the entire training room with glorious golden light.

_"Ah, yes,"_ Alastair thought as he watched the six Poachers relish in their newfound power. _"With our numbers growing, there is no way the Syndicate can be defeated now. We will seize control of the entire world and change social order so it can fit all of our needs. And there will be no one who can resist. _No one_."_

* * *

In the Benefactor's room at the top of the Syndicate headquarters, the crime leader was still seated in his throne, surveying an electronic map displayed on the large computer screen hanging before him. They were already in the Orange Archipelago, and closing in on Fire, Ice, and Lightning Islands.

"Almost there..." whispered the Benefactor.

"Benefactor, sir!"

The man turned his head slightly, as Alastair and Charon stepped into the room. Both were wearing satisfied grins on their faces.

"So, I assume you've given the Syndicate Seven the necessary equipment?" asked the Benefactor.

"There can be no other better news of the day, sir!" Charon replied, chuckling eerily.

The Benefactor grinned deviously, just as his electronic map indicated the Syndicate's arrival at Fire, Ice, and Lightning Islands. He quickly stood up from his throne.

"Why don't we show these Legendary Pokémon our true power?!"

"Yes, sir!" chorused Alastair and Charon at the same time.

* * *

**The Shamouti Shrine, Shamouti Island  
****The Orange Archipelago**

The lone Slowking stood in the beautiful field of flowers located by the tall, rocky precipice, peacefully observing the trio of islands located miles away, separated by a vast body of glittering, crystal-blue water. These three islands all resembled volcanoes, with different shapes and sizes. The island located at the very left had a large, cinder-cone mountain; the central island had a similar mountain, although it was taller than the one at the left; and the island at the right barely resembled a volcano unless viewed from an aerial angle, as it appeared to be nearly sinking into the ocean. These three islands proudly stood side by side with one another.

The Slowking took a deep breath of placidity, before taking a glance at the ancient circular altar situated behind him. Several pillars of stone were lined up across the shrine's perimeter, and the small, almost dilapidated shrine itself was located at the radius of the altar, standing proudly.

His ever-present grin widened slightly as a soft, cold breeze blew. To him, it sounded as if there was a song playing faintly with the wind...

The tranquil scene was suddenly disturbed when a dark, massive shadow cast itself upon the shrine, accompanied by a mechanical roar and the ferocious whirring of rotors. Slowking looked up, his smile turning into a slight frown, although one could tell the Royal Pokémon was still viewing this predicament in an optimistic light.

"Disturb not the harmony of fire, ice, and lightning," he said, as if in warning.

However, the unknown machine continued flying slowly towards Fire, Ice, and Lightning Islands. Slowking watched it go with an unnatural calmness.

Once the machine completely passed over him and he was engulfed in bright sunlight again, Slowking could only sigh softly as he spoke one sentence.

"What a mess."

* * *

**The Beast of the Sea  
Underneath the ocean**

The shadowy figure swam across the current at high speeds. Its characteristics could not be easily seen, with the sole exception of its blue, glowing eyes.

Suddenly, the figure stopped swimming and its blue eyes widened, seemingly in shock. It quickly raised its head and looked up at the seas above, towards the surface of the ocean. It could vaguely sense a predicament unfolding above the surface, and it knew for a fact that it had to intervene.

So, it burst through the current and began spinning at immeasurable speeds, creating a vortex of water as it made its triumphant ascent.

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters**

"Keep on scrubbing! Those floors ain't gonna clean themselves, ya know!"

"Alright, alright! Don't get your feathers in a bunch..."

The three janitors continued cleaning the lengthy hallway while Team Galactic Commander Mars and two Team Magma grunts surveyed them. These janitors were an extremely peculiar bunch: one had ridiculously long magenta hair, another had chin-length blue hair, and the third was so small and stout and had a face that was so comically feline-like it almost resembled that of a Meowth. However, Mars and the two grunts didn't seem to mind their presence.

Once their three supervisors were turned away from them, the janitors turned to each other and snickered deviously.

* * *

_"__Disturb not the harmony of **fire, ice, and lightning**, lest these titans wreak destruction upon the world in which they clash."_

–Excerpt from the Shamouti Prophecy

* * *

**Next time on "Judgment's Fall"**

**Ash:** Oh, so I see you have a boyfriend too, Serena...

**Hilbert:** Alright Tepig, use Flame Charge!

**Unknown:** You look like a worthy challenge...

**Serena:** Come on, Hilbert, you can do it!

**Calem:** Well...that escalated quickly.

**Xerneas: _"_**_**Then why not be a good, caring friend to them, Calem?"**_

**Calem:** Because I don't want to endanger them...

**Chapter 17: Within the Dark Soul**

* * *

**Hilda White and Hilbert Black's Summer Getaway Mansion  
****The Seventh District  
****Lumiose City, Kalos**

Ash gasped suddenly and began looking around. He was currently sitting in the mansion's main den room with Hilda and several of his friends and acquaintances.

"Is something wrong, Ash?" asked Hilda, her eyebrow raised at her new boyfriend's sudden change in behavior.

However, Ash's eyes focused at the nearest window, which he stared through. The bright full moon was still high in the nighttime sky and there was nothing out of the ordinary occurring outside the mansion, nothing that would catch his attention this instantaneously. However...he sensed something was out of place...

_Something wasn't right_...

"Ash?"

The raven-haired Trainer's attention was restored by the sound of Serena's voice. He looked at the others and noticed they were all staring at him curiously.

"Is everything alright?" asked Brock. "You look disturbed."

"Pika?" Pikachu added, its head tilted in curiosity.

At first, Ash was silent. He wanted to tell them about the odd feeling he had, but before he could do so, that feeling disappeared just as suddenly as it had appeared. Everything was right again. It was very strange, and Ash wanted to still tell his friends about it...but then again, who would believe him?...

"...Oh, everything's fine!" he replied, smiling innocently.

_**"Oh, is it?"**_

* * *

**A/N:** Uh-oh, it looks like the Syndicate has struck again! And yes, I didn't put in an action sequence this time. First of all, I think the outcome would be very obvious in the end, now would it? Second of all, I was lazy and didn't want to deal with it at the moment. Third of all, I thought I should've left it to your imaginations.

Also, I am aware it's actually _"fire, ice, **or** lightning"_, but I replaced it with 'and' because it sounded better to me. So, yeah...

Now, I would like to thank those who reviewed:

**justareadersofar:** But remember, two weeks passed, and Hilda had been taking Ash out on a lot of dates. Surely that kind of pressing in that amount of time would have finally broken through Ash's dense skull. Don't worry, though, that romance won't last in the long term.

**Ejennings167:** Just go to my profile. The entire layout of the story is there, complete with chapters and everything.

**trublsmbob:**

**1)** Maybe. Anyway, there should be AmourShipping hints in the next chapter. I will resolve all of these crushes by the time this story ends too.

**edCOM02:**

**1)** The entire URL didn't make it into the review.

**2)** Just about right. XD

**3)** Patience, young grasshopper. AmourShipping will come in due time. Remember, summaries! :D

**Moderator:** Is there anything specific you would like to say about this story? Pros, cons, everything in-between? I would like specific details, please.

**Gyga (guest reviewer):**

**1)** You'll see how it goes in the next chapter.

**2)** Actually, Nate and Rosa both appeared previously in the story, if you didn't know. Nate appeared in Chapters 1, 2, and 6, while Rosa appeared in just Chapter 1.

**3)** Brendan, no, I haven't mentioned him by name yet, but he will make an appearance. Leaf, yes, I have something special planned for her. Shota...I do not know to be honest. I think I'll wait till an English name is revealed, because I don't wanna edit a whole lot of chapters again. Then I'll see what I can do for him.

**smoothi3 (guest reviewer):**

**1)** I'm glad you like CafeNoirShipping! And don't worry, AmourShipping is not in any real danger; it will triumph in the end.

**2)** Sorry there wasn't any real action. Although I do hope you were still entertained reading this and found something interesting.

**ChE clarinetist:**

**1)** Oh yes, Drew does have some mysterious motivations involving May. And you shall see what they are in the next couple chapters or so! :D

**2)** I'm glad you like that. Of course, I needed to provide some possible explanations to keep everyone guessing instead of having them scratch their heads angrily at what I did to end Act I. As for that mysterious girl, well, I never thought about that, but maybe it could be possible... ;)

**3)** Well then, let's see if either one of your two theories (or both, actually) hold up once I make the revelation!

**4)** Hope you enjoyed Slowking's cameo! But don't worry, he will appear again.

**Tokipelto:** Trust me, this was not something I pulled out of my butt randomly. You gotta remember that my portrayal of Hilda is like one of those flirty celebrity idols, who can get dedicated. Surely in two weeks she can get Ash's interest with enough pressing, coupled with his confusion to the whole concept of romance.

**AASL 4 LIFE (guest reviewer):** Refer to my beginning Author's Note for answers to your questions.

**Emily (guest reviewer):** No doubt it's not good.

**xxxSMDxxx:** Isn't it good to feel right about something? XD Anyway, yes, it will be a bit of a mix-up for the next several chapters.

**Hero Time 18:** You _are_ reading my responses to your reviews, aren't you?...

**pokefan (guest reviewer):** Don't worry, AmourShipping shall triumph in the end. Patience, young grasshopper, patience.

**Tertullian:**

**1)** Ooh, I'm glad you're loving this story! And I don't know where you got the whole everyone-has-one-parent theme from (I wasn't intending to aim for that, the last time I remember), but thanks anyway! Hope you keep on enjoying reading this story! :D

**2)** Don't worry, there IS more to come. My apologies for there being so many characters, though. I guess this is what I guess for tackling an epic story.

**3)** My apologies for that, but I do have things planned out for Lucas. As for Hilbert and Hilda, I thought that was made obvious from their different surnames.

**4)** Thanks, I hope you continue reading this! :D

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	19. Within the Dark Soul

**A/N:** My sincere apologies if this chapter took longer to be put up than usual. I have been working on the newest chapters for my other stories, especially "Return of the Hero" (yes, I've brought it back, in case you didn't notice), and plus, finals for the semester are this week, so I obviously did some hardcore studying.

Yeah, it's gonna be a busy week. But don't worry, after this week, I've got summer vacation upon me, so updates shouldn't be this far in-between anymore.

Also, just some important comments I wanna share to you all.

To be honest, lately, it's actually been kind of difficult for me to get my priorities as a writer here straight. I want to try and get "The Way We Will Be" updated at long freaking last, because I promised a couple of folks that I am working on it and not to worry. But just a couple of days ago, I realized I kind of lost interest in the story, which would explain why it has been taking me so long to get done a simple chapter that has less words than the usual chapters of this story. Don't worry, peeps, just because I said I lost interest doesn't mean I'm gonna drop it altogether. I'm still working on the chapter, but I could decide to take a break from writing that one.

I've also been trying to get back to my other fics. I especially haven't updated my "Angel Beats!" fic in so long and I want to show my readers in that fandom that I'm still alive (although I guess they could just check my profile and look at any recently updated stories to verify that). I know that I said "Judgment's Fall" was going to be my top-priority story, but I never knew how seriously I would take that statement until now...and I'm starting to kinda regret saying that a bit.

And by a bit, I mean a whole lot.

Also, I just learned that "Phineas and Ferb", the show that got me into writing fanfiction in the first place, is ending this summer. I couldn't believe it when I heard the big news from a follower of mine, and then, I decided I should pay the show my final respects by writing a new fic for the show. "Phineas and Ferb" has always held a special place in my heart and I feel it's important that I at least address the show's departure through some faithful writing.

Not saying I'm gonna abandon this story or take a break from it or anything but I am saying I've decided to rearrange my priorities here a little. After this chapter, I'll resume work on my other fics and update at least one of them before getting back to this story. This could result in another delayed chapter for this one. Just saying.

Anyway, I'm ranting and venting at this point. :P On with the long-awaited chapter now. ENJOY!

* * *

_**A tower in flames...**_

* * *

**Pallet Town, Kanto  
**

Delia Ketchum hummed a soft tune to herself as she planted the last of her seeds into the fertile soil. Planting a garden at the side of her house during the spring was something she loved to do every year. After all, it was a leisurely activity that took her mind off other pressing subjects...such as the fact that she was all alone in her house for the majority of the year. Of course, she had Mimey, her faithful Mr. Mime, to keep her company but there was the obvious occasional communication barrier.

She couldn't wait for the year to be over, so then she could see her precious Ash again. Oh, how she could still imagine him as a child...

_"Oh, who am I kidding?"_ Delia thought solemnly as she buried her last seed underneath the soil. _"My little Ash is growing up. I've gotta give him some space..."_

"Mime mime mime mime mime mime..."

The auburn-haired woman smiled softly and looked up as Mimey appeared. He was happily sweeping his broom across the walkway leading to the house's doorstep.

"Oh, Mimey," she spoke up kindly, catching the Barrier Pokémon's attention, "you know you don't have to keep sweeping the walkway all the time. Just leave it be. It is gonna get dirty in a few minutes, so there's no need." She then pointed to the house. "Do me a favor and check on the pie I'm baking for Professor Oak. Please?"

Mimey nodded loyally and wandered back into the house. She chuckled as she watched her friend and housekeeping assistant leave before glancing towards the trail. She heard Professor Oak was returning to Pallet Town after a two-month visit to the Seafoam Islands. As Oak was, and still is a close family friend, Delia thought that the esteemed Pokémon Professor deserved a little welcome-home party for him, and thus, she began making the pie for him.

"Oh, morning Delia!" a voice called. "A pleasure seeing you out here today!"

Speaking of which...

"Oh, good morning, Professor Oak!" replied Delia, smiling brightly at the elderly man as he rode up next to the house on his bicycle. "Welcome back!"

"Why, thank you, Delia! I see you've begun your spring gardening again."

"Oh, really? Well, I just got done with planting the seeds. Now comes the watering part. So, how'd it go over at the Seafoam Islands?"

Oak chuckled nervously and shrugged. "Eh. Westwood's still quite a character, even after all these years. I'll say for sure, though, I will not be looking at any portraits the same way ever again." Then, the Professor's nostrils abruptly flared, and he began sniffing the air. "Ooh, is that a pie I smell?"

"Oh, yes!" Delia replied cheerfully. "It's your favorite brand, actually!"

"Blueberry?"

The woman sweat-dropped. "I could've sworn it was cranberry..."

"Oh, well. I'll take it either way, Delia. I've been starving ever since I got off the plane, and good ole Wheelie here isn't what he used to be." He gestured to his bike.

Seconds later, Mimey emerged from the house, carrying a pie in its hand with a jolly grin on its face. The Barrier Pokémon walked over to the Professor and extended its hand out to him. The smell of the pie quickly flowed into Oak's nostrils, causing them to flare up and his face to contort into an excited expression.

"Ah, blueberry pie!" he exclaimed.

Delia sweat-dropped even further. "It's a cranberry pie, Professor..."

However, Oak ignored her and began sniffing the pie. "Oh, the pie smells so good you can't tell if it's blueberry or cranberry! You're a saint as usual, Delia."

"Why, thank you, Professor," replied Delia, smiling shyly. "It's a pleasure to give food to friends like you."

"No, thank you, Delia." Oak took the pie from Mimey's hand and placed it inside the basket of his bicycle. "Well, I gotta get going. My lab's not getting any younger!"

He prepared to pedal away when the ground suddenly started shaking. The tremors were fortunately soft, nothing that would cause any devastating damage, but the shaking surprised Delia, Oak, and Mimey nonetheless. Then, they noticed the shaking was intensifying by the minute...as if something was headed their way...

"Mime mime!" Mimey cried, looking toward its right.

"What in the world?..." asked Oak as he looked behind his shoulder, following Mimey's gaze. Upon spotting the source of the shaking, his eyes widened in terror.

A horde of Diglett was roaring down the trail, their heads poking in and out and back into the ground repeatedly. They were headed in his direction...

"Oh, no, NO!" the Professor yelped.

"Professor, get off your bike now!" Delia shouted.

Oak knew he didn't need to be told twice. He hopped off his bicycle and onto the Ketchum residence fence, just seconds before the Diglett horde approached him. The bicycle collapsed on top of the heads of several Diglett, and wound up being carried away by them as the Mole Pokémon continued down the pathway, unhindered. As soon as the last of the Diglett passed the house and were out of sight, Oak dismounted the fence while Delia and Mimey stepped onto the disturbed trail.

"That was weird," Delia remarked, looking relieved, "not to mention frightening."

"I'll tell you what's frightening, Delia!" exclaimed Oak, completely distressed. "Those Diglett took away my _bike_! AGAIN! And with my blueberry pie too!"

"Mime mime!" Mimey suddenly shouted, looking up.

"What is it, Mimey?" asked Delia. Then, she followed Mimey's gaze and gasped at the sight.

"Why, what is it, Delia?" Oak asked, still hatefully staring down the trail where the Diglett had disappeared to.

"Look up, Professor! Look at the sky!"

"Huh? What in the-?" The Pokémon Professor looked up, and his eyes widened in shock. "AGH!"

Many species of Flying-type Pokémon, both native to Kanto and foreign, were flying across the air in a singular direction as an aurora decorated the clear blue sky.

"What in Arceus's _name_?!" exclaimed Oak. "This is profoundly astounding! This is the second time I've ever seen such a thing in my life!"

"What do you think is wrong, Professor?" asked Delia, her voice laced with fear and apprehension.

"Well, I don't know." The Professor's eyes narrowed. "But Pokémon are more in tune with nature than we are. When something goes wrong, they can sense it." As the aurora in the sky suddenly faded away, his eyes narrowed even more. "And I'm afraid something somewhere is going _terribly_ wrong."

* * *

**Chapter 17: Within the Dark Soul**

* * *

**Hilda White and Hilbert Black's Summer Getaway Mansion  
****The Seventh District  
****Lumiose City, Kalos**

"I do not see the strategical advantage of having a _suitor_, Hilda."

"That's because there _isn't_ any, Chairwoman."

Sitting on her comfortable leather chair, Hilda faced a large computer screen as a live transmission was being projected on it. She had a clear view of the oblong table featured in the image. There, eleven people, all of them clad in expensive-looking business suits, were seated by it. Five of them were seated at one side of the table, another five were sitting at the other side, and the eleventh person, a stern-faced woman with crimson hair and eyes, sat at the far end of the table.

"With all due respect," Hilda continued, "I actually have legitimate feelings for Ash, and I'd prefer it if you do not force the board's opinion down my throat."

"You may be one of the Presidents of the BW Agency, Hilda," replied the redheaded woman, "but remember-"

"You're the board of directors, and the board of directors has the final say in company matters." Hilda's eyes narrowed. "But this _isn't_ a company matter, and it never, ever _was_, Chairwoman. This is my personal life, and you all have no right to control it. I know you're all worried after the Lumiose City Disaster, but-"

"Of course we're worried, Hilda!" another director exclaimed. "We have no idea what this boy's intentions could be for pursuing a romantic relationship with you!"

"Chairwoman's right, Hilda," piped Bernard, who was standing beside Hilda. "This Ash boy and any of his friends could pose a potential security threat-"

"Bernard, these people been staying at this place for two weeks now," interrupted Hilda bitterly, giving her vice-president a nasty glare. "If any of our guests had bad intentions, then they would've struck by now, wouldn't they? I swear to Arceus, Bernard, I thought you weren't a big fan of following orders?"

"Where'd you exactly _get_ that impression?" Bernard asked, sounding offended.

"Whether or not Bernard's right, Hilda," the chairwoman said, "it is in the board's interest to evaluate the boy you claim to be in a relationship with!"

Hilda's eyes narrowed even further. "Alright then," she replied. "Here's an evaluation for you. Ash Ketchum is one of the people who saved me and Hilbert from those goons who tried to kidnap us. He is willing to set aside his safety to help others. He is fully dedicated, hardworking, and determined. When there's something he feels needs to be done, there is nothing that will stop him from accomplishing it. He will never give up on someone or something until the end. And most of all, he _loves_ his friends and treats them like they're his family. He will do _anything_ for them. He even took automatic gunfire and a missile explosion, all just to save one of his friends! He would **DIE** for them! If that doesn't count as loyalty and determination to you guys, then I don't know what the hell is!

"_That's_ the boy I fell in love with. And I'm happy being with him, and he's happy with me. He's all that I just said, and more. I will not deny it." She crossed her arms, smirking as she triumphantly stared down her superiors. "Here's your stupid evaluation. So, do you any more questions to ask, _board of directors_?"

The chairwoman sighed heavily and replied, "If you insist, Hilda."

As soon as he heard the chairwoman's response, Bernard grunted in displeasure and looked away from the screen.

"Oh, for heaven's sake..." he whispered to himself.

"Oh, and by the way," added Hilda, the thought coming to her mind at the last second, "I would like to announce that Hilbert just got himself a girlfriend! YAY!"

"WHAT?!" shouted several members of the board in shock.

* * *

While Hilda was talking with the BW Agency board of directors, Ash, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, Hilbert, Misty, Brock, May, Max, Dawn, and Cilan were all seated in the outside living room. Serena and Hilbert were sitting close together on one of the room's sofas, her right hand placed over his left hand. An awkward silence hung over the room as everyone else looked at the new couple. As with the announcement of Ash and Hilda's relationship, Serena and Hilbert's was just as unexpected.

"Oh, so I see you have a boyfriend too, Serena..." said Ash, trying his best to sound optimistic at the prospect, but he found that his tone felt somewhat forced.

"Yeah, I guess I do..." replied Serena, chuckling nervously before slipping back into silence. Her face was as red as a Tamato Berry, as with Hilbert's.

The room fell silent again.

Finally, Cilan nudged Brock's shoulder, catching his attention, and whispered into his ear, "I sense an improper combination of ingredients going on around here..."

"You got that right..." Brock whispered back in response.

Just then, a joyous Hilda entered the room, accompanied by Bernard, who looked like he had lost an important bet. Ash smiled upon seeing the president arrive.

"Hey, Hilda," he greeted. "So, how was it? Did you talk to them about the PWT?"

"Yep, yep, yep!" she replied, clapping her hands together in joy. "The PWT shall commence next week, just as we all hoped it would. Also, I told them all about us and those two." The brown-haired teenage girl pointed at Serena and Hilbert for emphasis. "And they're actually okay with it!"

"Oh, that's good." Ash scratched the back of his head, apparently unsure of what to say next. "So...uh-"

"Anyway, I have to be off!" interrupted Hilda suddenly, before Ash could even begin his new sentence. "I need to go talk with the Lumiose City mayor and city council, tell them of the newest developments and that I'm giving the okay with reconstruction and stuff. I'll be gone for the day."

"Oh." Ash blinked, his eyes softening. "I was hoping we'd go out on another date..."

Hilda smiled in adoration. "Ashy, we've already went out on seven dates for the past week. I think we don't need to have another date so soon." She looked at all the others in the living room. "Why don't you hang out with your friends? I think they've been missing the good ole times with you."

"Really?" Ash scanned all of his friends, who were now smiling expectantly. Taking it as signs of approval, he looked back at Hilda. "Sure, that sounds like a good idea. Look, I know you've already done this many times before, but-" He gave his new girlfriend a thumbs-up. "-good luck on your meeting, Hilda!"

Upon hearing that statement of encouragement, Hilda's cheeks became florid, and she looked away. Serena couldn't help but frown jealously at that action.

"T-Th-_Thanks_, Ash," she replied, struggling to contain herself from letting out a squeal of absolute joy.

"Alright," Hilbert said, standing up. "I guess we gotta get going, then-"

"No, you're staying here," Hilda suddenly interrupted, returning to her professional attitude.

"Huh?" The male president's eyes widened in surprise; he never expected Hilda to give such an approval. "Are-Are you _serious_?..."

"Well, I know how much you do not like going to these meetings. Since I'm in a good mood today, I'm gonna let you hang out with all of these guys. I've noticed how much fun you're having every time you interact with them, so-" She winked craftily. "-I think it's actually pretty good for you if you keep hanging out with them."

Hilbert blinked in shock as he tried to comprehend what Hilda just told him. Then, his lips curved into a satisfied smile of thanks.

"Thank you, Hilda," he said. "You...You have no idea how much this really means to me.

"Hey, don't go all sentimental on me. And don't thank me, Hilbert. Thank them." She turned around and began walking away. "Well, I'm off, everyone! Have fun!"

"See ya later, Hilda!" everyone else chorused as the female president left, followed by a still-glum Bernard.

Once Hilda was gone, Hilbert turned towards Ash. "So," he said, "shall we resume our training, Ash? We've got all this spare time on our hands."

Ash smiled back at Hilbert in determination. "Of course, Hilbert! I can't imagine anything better!"

"PIKA!" Pikachu exclaimed, smiling widely in determination.

"Alright, then!" Hilbert clenched his fist and raised it in the air. "I guess now that it's decided, let's get going to a battlefield, shall we?!"

"Yeah!" everyone else chorused in response.

Ash and the others stood up from their chairs or sofas and followed Hilbert out of the living room. As he continued walking, Ash couldn't help but shake off the feeling that something wasn't right, that something was out of place somewhere in the world. It was the same feeling he abruptly felt yesterday...

_**"There's no more time to waste, Ash..."**_

The raven-haired Trainer stopped and looked around. Pikachu also came at full alert, his ears twitching suddenly as the Mouse Pokémon mimicked his Pikapi's actions.

"What was that?..." he whispered to himself.

"What was what, Ash?"

Ash yelped in surprise and looked at Serena, who had stopped walking and was now looking at him quizzically. The others were still walking on ahead.

"What was _what_, Ash?" Serena repeated as she arched an eyebrow.

However, Ash continued to stare at Serena, unsure of what exactly to say.

* * *

**Sycamore Laboratories  
Southern Lumiose City**

Alain silently stood in front of the gateway to Sycamore Laboratories, glancing up at the building with an emotionless expression. He remembered all of the times that he had spent with Professor Sycamore in that building, helping him compile research about Mega Evolution. It was a shame that Sycamore's research, while beneficial in nature, would only bring out the evil intentions of untrustworthy people. Such a sad irony, he would think to himself on occasion.

"Still thinking about the Professor?"

The shady Trainer closed his eyes with a sharp exhale. "I just happened to be walking down this street. It was sheer coincidence that I would pass this place."

"You mustn't let your past cloud your judgment. Remember, you still-"

"Have a mission, I know," interrupted Alain. He then opened his eyes and turned around. "Why are you here, Lysandre?"

"Like you would say," the Team Flare leader replied, "it was sheer coincidence that I would come across you." He raised a plastic bag that was filled with several items of an unknown nature. "The nearest convenience store is a few blocks away from the café, and I will commend the princess for embracing her enlarged appetite."

However, Alain's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Please don't tell me you're having doubts about my handling of this mission."

"I have neither said or implied anything of the sort."

"Then why bother talking to me at this time?"

Lysandre blinked. "I'm just being a concerned friend."

"Well, I don't need your concern." Alain placed his hands in his pockets and began walking away from Lysandre. "I have a mission to attend to, so don't distract me."

The Team Flare leader could only watch as Alain walked further away from him, turned a corner, and went out of sight. Once the shady Trainer disappeared, Lysandre looked up at Sycamore Laboratories, examining the building's structure. He could see the faint outline of someone wearing a white lab-coat, passing several windows on an upper floor. Once this unknown person went out of sight, Lysandre's lips curved into a sinister sneer, out of which came a chuckle.

Then, Lysandre turned around and walked down the opposite direction.

"What a day..." he said to himself.

* * *

**The PWT Battle Club  
****Centrico Plaza, Lumiose City**

Ash, Hilbert, Pikachu, and Tepig ran down a pathway as fast as they could, sweat slowly dripping down their brows. Towering over them on both sides were a number of trees with extended branches that were tangled up in one another. The large mass of leaves blocked out most of the sunlight, giving the entire path a shadowy but slightly golden glow to it. The two Trainers could see the training course they signed up on several feet ahead. They were almost there...

Finally, they could see the end of the pathway coming up. Brock and Cilan were already there, waiting for their arrival.

"Ready, Hilbert?" asked Ash as he continued running. "Better be on your feet for what would come!"

"I've _been_ ready, Ash!" Hilbert replied confidently. "Ready and willing!"

"Now _that's_ what I like to hear!"

The two Trainer-Pokémon duos then increased the pace of their running. Just as they were reaching the end of the pathway and entering the training course...

Two Water Gun attacks suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"Alright Tepig, use Flame Charge!" commanded Hilbert.

"Use Electro Ball, Pikachu!" Ash ordered.

Pikachu fired an Electro Ball at one of the incoming Water Guns, dispersing the water before it could hit its target. As for Tepig, the Fire Pig Pokémon engulfed itself in flames and charged as fast as it could towards the source of the second Water Gun: a highly sophisticated water cannon. However, as it neared the second cannon, all the while dodging the bursts of water it sent its way, it suddenly felt the familiar burning sensation of its own flames catching up to it.

**"TEPIG!"** the Fire Pig Pokémon squealed out in pain. It began running around the training course in circles, trying its best to put out the fire that enveloped its body.

"Oh no, not again!" exclaimed Hilbert in distress.

"I've got it!" Brock shouted, running up to the water cannon and directing it at the aflame Tepig. The cannon fired another burst of water that splashed all over Tepig and instantly put out the flames engulfing it. The aspiring Pokémon Doctor then ran up to it to examine if any injuries had occurred.

"Is Tepig alright?" Bonnie asked as she stood up from the seat row she had been sitting on with Clemont and several of their friends.

"Yeah, it's alright," replied Brock as he looked up at the audience stand and smiled.

"Aw, man," Hilbert moaned as he approached Tepig and Brock, kneeling down to stroke his beloved Pokémon. "Tepig, what're we gonna do with your Flame Charge?"

"Tepig tepig..." replied Tepig solemnly, its head hanging low in shame.

"We need to learn how to train Tepig to manage its Flame Charge," Ash remarked as he approached Hilbert and Tepig.

"You got that right, Ash," Hilbert replied. "Tepig, you need to pick up the pace when you're using Flame Charge. If you maintain the speed you're using right now, you will just have those flames stick to your body instead of flowing across your fur like a regular Flame Charge. Do you understand that?"

"Tepig..." Then, the Fire Pig Pokémon then stood up, looking frantic. "Tepig tep-tepig tepig! Pig tepig tep-tepig!"

"Why? What's wrong, Tepig?"

"Pig-tepig tep-tepig!" Tepig stood on its hind legs for a moment, waving its front legs in emphasis. "Tepig TEPIG!"

"You know," Brock said, a small smile on his face, "I think Tepig's scared of going any faster."

"Scared of going faster?" Ash and Hilbert asked at once.

"Yes, that's right!" exclaimed Cilan, catching onto what Brock was saying. "You see, guys, whenever a Pokémon learns a new move, there is always a difficult obstacle that needs to be overcome. It usually has to do with a personal fear or a perceived shortcoming of the Pokémon's. Take Tepig and Flame Charge, for instance. Tepig is obviously afraid of going any faster than it usually goes, and given its small size, I'm betting that it's because it can't handle such a speed. To it, it's unreasonable!"

Hilbert looked down at Tepig. "Is this true, Tepig?"

"Tepig..." The Fire Pig Pokémon nodded sadly. "Tepig..."

"Oh, come on, Tepig!" Ash exclaimed, smiling widely. "You can do it! You're gonna need practice, but I promise you, going faster won't hurt you one bit!"

"Pika-pikachu!" added Pikachu, raising a fist in encouragement.

However, Tepig's eyes began to water, and it hid behind Hilbert, moaning, "Tepig..."

"I think Tepig's too scared to go!" Bonnie called from the audience stands.

"Oh, Tepig," Hilbert said softly as he picked up the BW Agency mascot and held it in his hands, looking into it eyes seriously. "I know you're pretty scared. Trust me, I was pretty scared too, when we both went out of the mansion to find ourselves someone to challenge. I _really_ didn't know if I had it in me to at least put up a decent battle, to make ourselves proud of what we've done. But with the help of Ash and all his friends, we can perfect our craft! We can actually become strong!"

"Tepig?" Tepig tilted its head slightly, obviously puzzled.

"Tepig, I know how much you want to become strong. I've known it ever since the company first brought you in. From the moment I first saw you, I knew that we are very much alike. We both wanted something better than what we had back then. We wanted to become the best there ever was. And now, we've got ourselves a good chance at reaching that very ideal!" Hilbert's eyes narrowed. "We can become _strong_, Tepig. But I can't do it without you, and you can't do it without me."

"Tepig," replied Tepig, nodding in understanding.

"I know it's hard for you to go faster," continued Hilbert, "but if you divert you focus on what you want, instead of what you fear, then going faster won't be a problem for you! And then, there'll be nothing that can stop you when you're using Flame Charge! So, what do you say, Tepig? Are you up for it?"

The Fire Pig Pokémon hesitated, looking away. Everyone watching the exchange had their eyes glued to Hilbert and Tepig, wondering what would exactly happen next.

Then, before Tepig could give its response...

"What a waste."

Everyone glanced towards a nearby rock-climbing wall, where an unfamiliar Trainer was leaning against it coolly. He had dark-blue spiky hair that almost resembled a Qwilfish, comically enough, and piercing red eyes. He was wearing a red long-sleeved jacket with a large cream-white collar, a white-and-red-striped waist-bag, a pair of blue jeans, and red-and-black-striped sneakers. The Trainer was frowning, although his lips then curved into a jeering sneer that bared his teeth.

"Pardon me, but what do you mean by 'what a waste'?" asked Cilan.

The Trainer shrugged. "Oh, please excuse me for my vagueness," he replied in a mock-apologetic tone. "What I meant was that it's obvious that little runt of a Tepig's obviously not strong enough to handle something so simple like speeding up to maintain a Flame Charge. How wasteful of it."

"WHAT?!" Hilbert shouted, while Tepig's eyes narrowed angrily at the Trainer. Everyone else stared down this strange Trainer, knowing he wasn't good news.

"I think you heard me," replied the Trainer, shrugging again. "I mean, what kind of Tepig can't handle the simple act of speeding up?" He crossed his arms. "So, what happened to the little runt? Was it run too fast and bump into a pole or something? HA! 'Cause that'd be very funny."

"Don't you DARE call Tepig a little runt!" snapped Hilbert, seething with a fury beyond all measure.

"TEPIG!" Tepig added, snorting out flames in anger. "TEPIG **TEPIG**!"

"Alright, then." The blue-haired Trainer pulled out a Poké Ball. "Prove it. Prove to me that your cute little Tepig is more than just a little runt."

Hilbert's eyes widened in surprise. "Are...Are you _challenging_ me to a Pokémon battle?"

"Why? Have you ever _been_ in one before?" The Trainer's red eyes then twinkled. "Or are you just a runt too?"

"Just so you know," Ash interjected, "he's been in a Pokémon battle before! So don't you underestimate him! He may be a novice, but he's learning quick!"

"Okay, then." The Trainer stared down Hilbert. "Yes, I am indeed challenging you to a battle. Let's see how good you and your Tepig _really_ are."

"YEAH, YOU **GO**, BIG BROTHER!" another voice squealed. Everyone's eyes turned towards the audience stands, where a girl around Bonnie's age was seated. She had orange hair tied in an adorable bow and a Purrloin lovingly clutched in her arms. "GO, BIG BRO! GO, BIG BRO! GO, BIG BRO!"

"Thank you, Carrie!" the Trainer replied, smiling fondly, an expression that surprised everyone else. Then, he glared at Hilbert seriously again. "So, what do you say?"

"I accept!" shouted Hilbert almost immediately. "I'll show you that Tepig and I aren't runts or weaklings! We'll show you how strong we are!"

"TEPIG TEPIG!" added Tepig.

"Yeah, you go, Hilbert!" Ash said encouragingly.

"Pika pika!" Pikachu added, smiling.

* * *

**The PWT Battle Club battlefield**

Ash, Pikachu, Brock, and Cilan were seated with the others as they all observed the battlefield. Standing on one side was Hilbert, who was actually still wearing one of his disguises, so no one nearby could recognize him. On the other side of the battlefield was the blue-haired Trainer, who was grinning with anticipation.

"What's going on here?" a voice asked, attracting Ash's attention. He looked up and saw Paul and Trip approaching them.

"Oh, Paul, Trip!" the raven-haired Trainer greeted. "Great to see you!"

"Oh, spare us," Trip replied, although he was smiling slightly. He then spotted Hilbert on the battlefield. "I see he's practicing?"

"No," said Serena, her eyes still on Hilbert. "That other Trainer just challenged him to a battle. A _real_ battle."

"A real battle?" Paul repeated as he and Trip sat down on the audience seats. He scoffed. "With all that time he's spent training, he's likely not gonna last long."

"Just you wait, Paul!" Ash exclaimed. "Hilbert will win this! For sure!"

The purple-haired Trainer closed his eyes. "I'll believe it when I see it."

"Alrighty, then!" announced the Battle Club's resident Don George as he raised his muscular arms into the air, silencing the entire audience in the process. "The battle between Bernard of Nuvema Town and Hugh of Aspertia City shall begin shortly! This will be a one-round, one-on-one match, with no substitutions! The first Pokémon who is out for the count is the loser." He pointed at both Trainers. "Trainers, time for you to choose your Pokémon!"

"Right!" Hilbert replied. "Tepig, you're up!"

"TEPIG!" Tepig cried, running onto the battlefield and snorting flames into the sandy ground. "Tepig tepig!"

"Gonna come into the battlefield blazing, eh?" asked the Trainer named Hugh. "You look like a worthy challenge, but I've seen worthier ones..." He threw his Poké Ball in the air. "Well, we'll just see exactly how long you'll last against us! Come on out, Samurott, and wash them away!"

The Formidable Pokémon emerged from the Poké Ball and roared at Tepig, causing it to begin sweating. As for Hilbert, he gasped in shock.

"No way!" he cried. "Tepig against Samurott?!"

"This isn't looking too good for Hilbert already!" Clemont exclaimed from the stands. "A basic-stage Fire-type against a fully-evolved Water-type?!"

"This battle will no doubt leave a bitter aftertaste in Hilbert's mouth..." added Cilan.

"You and your food analogies again..." Dawn whispered to herself, sweat-dropping.

"Pip-piplup..." added Piplup.

"Come on, guys!" Ash said. "Now's not the time to lose faith in Hilbert! Not when the battle hasn't even begun!"

"Yeah!" Serena exclaimed in agreement. "Let's cheer for Hilbert!" She stood up, surprising Ash. "Come on, Hilbert, you can do it!"

Then, everyone, Serena included, sweat-dropped as soon as they remembered Hilbert was still in disguise and didn't want his identity to be exposed.

"Hilbert?" asked Hugh as he raised an eyebrow. "Why'd she call you Hilbert?"

"Um, uh, um, um..." stuttered Hilbert. "Uh, it's, uh, uh, a, uh, a nickname! Y-Yeah, that's right! A nickname!"

...

"_Okay_..." Hugh replied, seemingly unconvinced. However, he then pointed at Hilbert. "Well, Bernard or Hilbert, you are still going down! I can guarantee that! Because whenever I unleash my rage, it's unstoppable!" Then, he smirked and shrugged. "But, since I'm a kind person, I'll let you make the first move. Impress me."

"You got it!" Hilbert pointed at Hugh's Samurott. "Tepig, use Ember!"

"Tepig!" replied the Fire Pig Pokémon loudly.

"Ember?!" May exclaimed. "That's definitely not gonna work on a Pokémon like Samurott!"

Indeed, Tepig fired a shower of embers at Samurott, and although they all hit their target, the embers merely exploded into a cloud of vapor. Once the vapor cleared, the unscathed Samurott merely blinked, almost confused at what had just happened. Then, it began bursting out in mocking laughter. Hilbert and Tepig both gasped.

"That kinda looked familiar..." Cilan remarked, glancing at Ash instinctively.

"Well, that was certainly astounding for an Ember," replied Hugh. Then, he yawned before pointing at Tepig. "But not astounding enough! Samurott, use Ice Beam!"

The Formidable Pokémon roared and fired the attack, causing the ground below it to freeze as it passed by. However, Hilbert grinned.

"Ice Beam, huh?" Then, he pointed at the Ice-type attack. "Tepig, use Ember again before it hits you!"

Tepig fired another Ember attack at the Ice Beam, successfully hitting it. However, to Hilbert's shock, while the ice had melted from the heat of the embers, the water was still barreling straight for Tepig. Before he could yell at it to dodge the incoming water, it was too late: the water showered Hilbert, weakening it significantly.

"NO, TEPIG!" Hilbert shouted.

"Well, uh, that was kinda stupid, to say the least," said Hugh. "Just because I fire an Ice-type attack at your Fire-type Pokémon doesn't always mean that I intend on freezing it despite the type disadvantage!" He pointed at his head. "Better think about all the possible scenarios before you act. But of course that's basic knowledge." He sighed heavily and placed his hands on the back of his head. "I can't believe I actually _bothered_ to explain this when you should've known this, even as a novice."

"WHAT'D YOU SAY?!"

"Oh, I believe you heard me right, Bernard." Hugh's smirk widened. "So your Tepig has trouble learning Flame Charge, isn't that right?" He glanced at Tepig, who was struggling to get back up on its legs. "Well then, I think I should give lil' Tepig my own lesson on how to master such a move. Samurott!"

Samurott roared before it enveloped itself in a sphere of rushing, violent water. Hilbert's eyes widened, while Tepig shivered in fear.

"Use Aqua Jet!" ordered the dark-blue-haired Trainer.

The Formidable Pokémon shot itself towards Tepig, water streaming from its body.

"Tepig, dodge it!" Hilbert commanded.

Using the last ounce of its strength, the Fire Pig Pokémon jumped out of Samurott's way. However, once it landed on the ground, it collapsed to its knees again. Tepig tried to stand up, but its leg kept on giving out on it. In the meantime, Samurott maneuvered itself back toward the Fire Pig Pokémon, still maintaining its Aqua Jet.

"Tepig, Tepig!" shouted Hilbert. "Samurott's coming back! Quick, dodge it!"

"Te...pig..." moaned Tepig. It tried to stand up, but once again, it collapsed back down to the ground once it was close to recovering. "Tepig..."

"TEPIG!"

It was too late. Samurott slammed its body into Tepig, sending the Fire Pig Pokémon flying backward. Hilbert gasped as he watched it hit the wall, leaving a crater.

**"TEPIG!"** the president screamed as he ran up to Tepig's fallen form, examining it. "Tepig! Tepig, are you alright?!"

"Te...pig..." moaned Tepig as it tried to stand up. However, its legs gave out yet again, and it collapsed to the ground for the final time.

"Tepig is unable to battle!" Don George announced. "Hugh and Samurott are the winners of this battle!"

"YAY, BIG BROTHER WON!" shouted a voice from the audience stands.

Carrie was hopping up and down happily, while her Purrloin and a nearby couple, no doubt her parents, watched on, a hint of pride radiating from them.

"Well," Hugh said, just as Samurott landed beside him, its Aqua Jet dissipating, "that was fun, I will admit. But all too easy." He coolly recalled Samurott back into its Poké Ball. "All too easy, I must say." He shrugged. "I guess this means you and your Tepig truly are runts of the litter. Quite sad, really."

"Stop it," snarled Hilbert. "Don't call me or Tepig runts of the litter. 'Cause we're more than that! We're stronger than you think! We just need-"

"To learn more?" interrupted the dark-blue-haired Trainer. "Yep, that's definitely obvious. What's also obvious is that you need to review your entire training strategy."

"What was that?!"

However, it wasn't Hilbert who responded. This time, it was Ash. He had abruptly stood up from his seat, looking furious at what he had just heard.

"How dare you say that to Hilbert!" he shouted. "He's been training so hard for battles like these! And we've all been helping him! If you insult Hilbert, you insult us!"

"Well," replied Hugh, "if you haven't been teaching Hilbert or...Bernard, or whatever, on considering all of the scenarios of attacking an Ice-type move with a Fire-type move, then it's clear that your teaching strategies are not all that effective." He glared at Hilbert, giving him a serious expression. "If you wish to become strong, then I'd seriously recommend putting the strength of your Pokémon to the real test. Evaluate them, and train them to the best of their ability and beyond. Training courses and battles like this aren't enough to boost your Pokémon's power. And do it on your own too. Following advice isn't enough. It's all about doing your own training."

"He's right," Trip suddenly piped, while Paul nodded in approval.

"What do you mean he's right, Trip?" asked Ash, looking at his Unova rival.

"Well, helping him train is a good start, but that can only take a novice so far. I was able to make it to the Unova League mostly on my own." He glanced up at Ash. "I examined my battling strategies and my training methodologies, using them to my advantage for future battles. If I realized I was doing something wrong, that would be the exact moment where I improve. Trainers must also learn about themselves as much as they need to learn about their Pokémon."

"And if Black is only going to be training his Tepig with only the support of others," Paul added, still looking at the battlefield, "he'll never learn about himself."

"But Hilbert's still starting out!" exclaimed Ash in protest. "How is he supposed to become a strong Trainer without guidance, without assistance?"

"We weren't criticizing you helping him out all the time, Ketchum," Paul replied, looking up at Ash. "But he also needs an opportunity to train on his own. He is gonna need his own personal space to develop himself, his Pokémon, and his strategies. They don't send novice Trainers out on their own for nothing.

"And besides," Paul glanced back at the battlefield, where Hilbert was attending to Tepig, "there's also the fact that Black is running on limited information."

"Running on limited information?" Ash's auburn eyes narrowed; he didn't like the sound of that. "And what's that supposed to mean, Paul."

"It means Hugh is right about the strategies that you employ to lecture Hilbert in the art of a Pokémon battle," Trip replied, speaking for Paul. "If you keep being nice and encouraging towards him, he'll probably anticipate victory constantly. He might not take a loss in battle all too well."

"What gives you the right to challenge the way I'm teaching Hilbert?!" shouted Ash.

"He's right, Ash," Brock piped.

"What?!" The raven-haired Trainer twirled around, staring at his longtime friend in the eye. "Not you too, Brock!"

"Think about it, Ash! I've seen the way you've been teaching Hilbert. You never directly addressed the fact that you're not always going to win a battle. You have been portraying battling in an overly optimistic, idealized way. I didn't pointed it out because I thought you'd get to the topic later on but then Hilbert gets challenged to his first Pokémon battle, you didn't say anything about it. Now, Hilbert never considered the probability of a loss, and he became overconfident. That's why he lost."

"Don't you _dare_ blame Hilbert's loss on me!"

"I'm _not_, Ash." Brock's eyes narrowed in concern. "I'm just giving you some tips on what you can do to improve your teaching-"

"I DON'T **NEED** IMPROVING!" Ash screeched, startling everyone sitting nearby. "IT'S NOT MY FAULT HILBERT LOST! IT WAS ALL BECAUSE OF HUGH!"

"HEY!" shouted Hugh, looking offended. "Don't you throw me under the bus, man! I only won because I had the upper hand in tactics!"

"Ash," Hilbert said pleadingly, "it's okay! You don't have to blame yourself or anyone else! I lost in a battle that was played fair and square! You don't have to-"

"DON'T HAVE TO WHAT?!" The Trainer glared at his new friend, a surge of newfound fury alive in his eyes. "DON'T HAVE TO **WHAT**, HILBERT?! **HUH?! TELL ME!**" He violently stomped his foot down on the seat, so loudly that everyone else in the Battle Club fell silent. "I'M SO **SICK AND TIRED** OF OTHER PEOPLE GOING AROUND, CHALLENGING MY IDEALS AND BEING UP IN THEMSELVES! IT'S GETTING FRUSTRATING! WHAT DOES EVERYONE EXPECT ME TO DO, HUH?! **WHAT?!**"

"ASH, CALM DOWN!" Misty, May, Dawn, and Bonnie screamed at once.

"DEDENNE!" Dedenne screamed, tears dripping down its eyes.

"PIKA-PIKA!" added Pikachu, his eyes shining with tears.

However, Serena looked completely beside herself. She stood up as well and faced Ash, her sapphire-blue eyes drilling into his auburn eyes.

"ASH, YOU NEED TO STOP BEING SO **ANGRY**!" she shrieked.

Ash opened his mouth to shout back, but then, he noticed the terrified expressions on all of his closest friends, especially Serena, Pikachu, and Hilbert's. Realizing he had gone too far, he looked around and noticed Hugh, his family, Don George, and everyone else in the Battle Club looking at him warily, some even fearfully. They all looked like he was near the verge of exploding like an Electrode. Looking back at his friends, he shook his head slowly in disbelief, his eyes as wide as they could be.

Serena's eyes softened, and she asked, "Is this about what Cal-?"

"Don't mention that name!" exclaimed Ash, his grief-stricken voice breaking. "Just...don't!"

"You can't let his words get to you, Ash. You are a great Trainer. You're teaching Hilbert so much about Pokémon battling. You've inspired everyone around you."

Ash suddenly scoffed. "Yeah. If I'm such a great Trainer and an inspirational person, then why haven't I reached my goal yet? Huh? Why am I not a Pokémon Master? Why haven't I become the best, like no one ever was?" He looked down at the floor, the brim of his cap pulling his face into shadow. "Why? Tell me, Serena...why?..."

"I...I don't know, Ash..." Serena took his hand. "But you just have to keep _trying_-"

However, he pulled away from her and began walking away, his hands in his pockets.

"How long do I have to keep trying, though?..." he asked, although Serena could sense he was asking _himself_, not her.

* * *

"Well...that escalated quickly."

From a distance, Calem watched as Ash stormed away from the PWT Battle Club. His entire body was engulfed by a strange blue aura, and his pupils were glowing an energetic yellow. As soon as Ash left the Battle Club grounds, the Kalos Trainer turned around and began walking away in the opposite direction.

_**"Don't you think you've been too hard on the boy?"**_

"It's the truth, though," Calem replied. "If he doesn't accept the truth soon, he will be fully consumed by his wretched ideal. And then, he will be driven to madness."

_**"Just like you were?..."**_

Calem grunted. "Please don't bring up that dark part of my past. I am merely being a concerned comrade. There is nothing wrong with that."

_**"But I believe there is something fundamentally flawed with being too honest regarding a person. Like you humans say, the truth hurts."**_

"Then I guess Reshiram would be out of a job."

_**"Is that sarcasm I am hearing?"**_

"Probably, probably not." Calem stopped and took one last glance at Ash as he continued walking away, all alone. "I will admit, I never intended to paint myself in an antagonistic light in the eyes of Ash and his friends. I guess I haven't had human interaction in such a long time. That, and the exposure of my dreams for what they really were, no doubt affected me greatly in the social level. As dangerous as it would be, I really wanted to be their friends."

_**"Then why not be a good, caring friend to them, Calem? Why continue being antagonistic to them, as you are being right now? Why do you desire to continue down the original path you professed to take, despite your confessions, your desire for actual social interaction?"**_

His eyes narrowed menacingly. "Because I don't want to endanger them, Xerneas."

With a burst of blue light, the Life Pokémon gracefully materialized in front of Calem as he was still looking behind him. Despite the two of them being in plain sight of several nearby pedestrians, they somehow remained unseen to the naked eye. Xerneas followed Calem's longing gaze and stared at Ash as well.

* * *

Elsewhere, the strange girl watched Ash pass by her, too engrossed in his thoughts to even notice. Her lips curved into a toothy grin of pure malice.

"Perfect," she whispered to herself. "Just..._perfect_..."

* * *

_"What better light **within the dark soul** of mankind than the desire to make oneself a longstanding ideal."_

–Unova Prime Minister Jack K. Fennade

* * *

**Next time on "Judgment's Fall"**

**Rosa:** It's over... It's really all over...

**Alastair:** I'm sorry, but it's still too early for you.

**Curtis:** Trust me, he knows what's best for you.

**Orlando:** ATTACK WITH ALL YOU'VE GOT!

**Reshiram:** _"__FOOLS! The whole lot of you!"_

**N:** Stop it! Stop it, this instant!

**Rosa:** Yes! I finally did it!

**Jessie:** Target acquired...

**Chapter 18: ****Rosa's Big Adventure**

* * *

**A/N:** Again, probably not the best chapter I've ever written. After all, I just got back to writing this baby after my dives into other stories. But hopefully these newest developments were satisfactory enough for you! :D Plus, I'm pretty confident that the next chapter will be much more enjoyable for me to write down and dish out. :)

I'd like to thank those who reviewed (can't answer reviews right now, sorry):

**justareadersofar**

**Moderator**

**edCOM02**

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**platinumguest (guest reviewer)**

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**xxxSMDxxx**

**ChE clarinetist**

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**Guest reviewer**

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**GamerGirl597**

Well, hope you enjoyed this overdue chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	20. Rosa's Big Adventure

**A/N:** I know I said in the previous Author's Note that this chapter would be delayed because I was busy with other stories, but I already accomplished that goal right before the last chapter was posted. So yeah, I guess this means I can devote a good amount of this week's time to this chapter. ENJOY!

**P.S.:** This story just reached its landmark 200 reviews! Thanks for all the reviews, guys! It is very much appreciated, and I hope to see more feedback from you all!

* * *

**Location unknown  
Four years earlier**

A bolt of lightning streaked across the dark, cloudy sky, illuminating the wide expanse of forest with its sudden flashes of bright light. Just a couple of minutes later, a tremendous, earsplitting, booming noise rumbled across the area, causing flocks of Flying-type Pokémon to begin flying away from the branches they were previously perched on for safety, squawking in surprise and distress. The first droplets of rain began to fall down to the ground, landing with soft, watery thuds.

The girl with unkempt brown hair and wearing shabby clothing stumbled down the abandoned trail, treading through the overgrowth that was crowding the once-used pathway of bare earth. She panted with complete exhaustion, nearly falling over more than once, and she clutched her right arm tightly as the limb hung loosely. Her clothing was painted with streaks of semi-dried blood, although besides a large, noticeable bruise that decorated her left cheek, the girl didn't appear to be injured.

Finally, after what appeared to be hours of walking without interruption, the girl collapsed to her knees. She looked at the cloudy sky just as another loud thunderclap reverberated across the air. She could feel the droplets of rain, increasing in amount, hit her face and drip down her skin.

_"It's over..."_ she thought._ "It's really all over..."_

**_"YOU'RE WORTHLESS!"_**

_"There's nothing left for me to live for... No motivation... No reason... And besides..."_

**_"WORTHLESS, JUST LIKE YOUR BITCH MOTHER!"_**

_"I took a life..."_

**_"STOP IT! STOP YELLING ME! STOP IT, STOP IT, STOP IT!_ STOP_!__ YARGH!"_**

_"I just took a life. There's no reason for me, a monster full of sin, to no longer keep living..."_

She reached into the pocket of her torn, bloodstained skirt and pulled out a switchblade. She pressed a button and watched as the bloodied blade flew out of the gray metal handle in a quick blur. Looking deeply into the blade, the girl could vaguely see her reflection through the shiny metal and crimson bloodstains. Her hand began trembling as her mind was racing with thoughts concerning the absolute unthinkable. She didn't know if she had the courage to do what she was planning on doing...

Finally, the girl dropped the switchblade and collapsed to the ground in defeat. She realized that she couldn't go through with it, despite all the circumstances. No, she was too cowardly. And for that, she mentally berated herself. After all, why should someone like her, who experienced a horrible, miserable life, continue to live?

_"Why?..."_ she thought as she let out a deep breath and closed her eyes. _"_Why_?..."_

Hours passed with the girl lying on the abandoned trail, as torrents of rain poured down upon the forest, immersing her unprotected body in water. She almost hoped that somehow she caught a cold from the rain, an extremely lethal cold that would prove to be the death of her. As unfeasible as that scenario was, she still hoped.

Finally, after a while, the rain began to die down and the girl was still lying on the muddy ground, completely wet, her side coated with mud. Just as she was about to slip into unconsciousness, she heard a set of footsteps approaching, the soft splashing of muddy water indicating their presence. Her blue eyes fluttered open, and as the girl looked up to identify who, or _what_ was approaching her, she hoped that her visitor was here to kill her. She couldn't bear to live any longer.

Upon seeing her newest companion in full detail, she realized it was a person, a teenage boy around her age, with yellowish-green hair and eyes...which had the most solemn expression she had ever seen... Upon registering the almost foreign expression, the girl realized that this person was actually taking _pity_ in her, something no other person had ever done before in such a long time... Such pity almost made her want to cry tears of happiness, directed at actually seeing such gentle care.

Indeed, that was _exactly_ what she did. And once she did, she knew her life had changed forever, possibly for the better.

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters  
****Location unknown  
Present day**

Rosa opened her eyes and found herself lying on her bed, tucked in the same position she once took four years ago. She let out a heavy sigh, having realized that she had just been dreaming again. The Syndicate recruit sat up, her mattress creaking as she did so, and gently placed her hand on her chest, feeling the locket she wore for her entire life. As she felt it against her skin, bumping up against the fabric of her shirt, Rosa's eyes narrowed.

_"I won't let you down, Mom,"_ she thought with determination. _"I will contribute to the Syndicate's goal, Team Plasma's goal. I will help my comrades succeed, even if my efforts turn out to be the death of me. My life will not be for nothing. I will make good of my comrades' names, and I will make you proud. I promise."_

Her hand curled up into a fist, and her lips curved into a determined grin.

"Alright!" she said. "Let's get started!"

* * *

**Chapter 18: ****Rosa's Big Adventure**

* * *

**Approximately an hour later**

Curtis and Charon observed the wide cafeteria set up specifically for all of the criminal organizations under the Syndicate's employment. They weren't surprised to see all of the organizations separated from each other by table, something out of their own volition for obvious purposes. However, despite the divisions among the ranks, everyone was eating relatively peacefully otherwise. No fights or any other disturbances were reported ever since lunchtime hours had started.

The only major source of concern for the Syndicate lieutenants was the everlasting feud between Teams Aqua and Magma, whose members were actually sitting side-by-side on their own tables, quite conveniently. The lower grunts were staring down those from the opposite organization warily as they enjoyed their food and drinks calmly. Archer, Maxie, and their Admins, all sitting at the heads of their organizations' respective tables, repeated their inferiors' same movements.

"It seems like things are going smoothly on lunchtime," remarked Charon as he issued his signature chuckle.

"I can tell," Curtis replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "We need to do something about the Magma-Aqua rivalry soon. We cannot afford any loose cannons."

"How? Ever since their foundations, Teams Aqua and Magma have been like water and oil. No matter how hard you try, you simply cannot mix them together." Charon glanced at the other criminal organizations. "You cannot mix any two of these organizations together. In the end, it's unfeasible."

"Yet, the Syndicate was able to accomplish teamwork between all of them. Certainly something to mention in the history books."

"Only because we appealed to the common denominator that applies to them all: their unquenchable desire for world domination. But then, that is the only thing that they have in common. Beyond that, their methodologies and their motivations differ at varying degrees, none compatible with another."

"Well, it shall not matter any longer, however..." Curtis closed his eyes, a devious grin appearing on his face. "Once the Syndicate executes its master plan and asserts its dominance over the entire world, we can just dispatch these organizations afterwards, subjugate their members just like the rest of the masses."

"Devious little backstabbers, aren't we? Heh heh heh."

The green-haired teenager scoffed. "Well, it's not like the Benefactor expected them to share their portions of the world peacefully. And besides, no loose cannons."

Then, the two Syndicate lieutenants felt someone else join them: Alastair.

"How are things going on your end?" the lead lieutenant asked.

"Well, sir," Charon replied. "We were just discussing loose cannons."

"I take it you are referring to Teams Aqua and Magma?" Alastair smirked as he glanced at Maxie and Archie as they continued eating. "Oh, don't you worry about that little problem, you two. The Benefactor and I have concocted a little foolproof strategy and implemented it into their next mission."

"Next mission?" asked Curtis. "You mean the Oración mission?"

"Yes, Curtis, the Oración mission."

"Alastair, sir!" a young, female voice chirped. The trio of lieutenants watched as Rosa ran up to them, her pigtails bouncing with her step.

"Ah, Rosa," Alastair greeted, smiling kindly. "I assume you've finished your bathroom duties?"

"Yes, Alastair sir!" Rosa made a proud salute. "The materials have already been cleaned and are now back in the janitorial closet!"

"Impressive. I must say, I'm quite pleased with your work effort. You bring pride to the name of the Syndicate, Team Plasma, and your mother, Arceus rest her soul."

Rosa beamed at her superior, her eyes glimmering with awe. Then, her face began to turn pink, and she looked away nervously, as if preparing to say something.

"Um..." she muttered. "Alastair, sir..."

"Yes, Rosa?"

"Does..." The brown-haired girl looked back at Alastair with determination. "Does this mean I can finally join the Syndicate in the front-lines for the next mission?!"

Alastair and Curtis blinked, shocked at Rosa's request, while Charon tried his best to stifle a giggle. However, the teenage girl noticed the head scientist's reaction and frowned furiously at him. Then, her expression of fury turned into one of disappointment the moment she saw Alastair shake his head in disapproval.

"I'm sorry," he replied, "but it's still too early for you."

"Too early," repeated Rosa. She looked down at the floor of the cafeteria. "Too early, huh? Then tell me, Alastair, when _will_ the time come when I can fight with you?"

"When will the time come, you say?"

"_Will_ it come, Alastair?!" The girl looked back up at him. "Will it?! Or was I not supposed to fight in the Syndicate's master scheme?!"

"What makes you think that, my dear Rosa? We only wish to treat each and every one of our members accordingly-"

"Then treat me more accordingly, Alastair! Let me fight! Let me help you guys carry out a mission! Let me help you conquer the world! Let me-"

"You _are_ helping the Syndicate, Rosa," Alastair interrupted suddenly, "and you _will_ fight, but only when you're ready. Remember, the Syndicate is targeting-"

"Legendary Pokémon, I know, sir."

"And surely your mother wouldn't want you to run out in the middle of the battlefield, inadequately equipped and unprepared. Am I right?"

Rosa opened her mouth to retaliate, but then, she realized that Alastair was right. Despite her strict training regiment, she had only one Pokémon to claim as her own and she was never in an actual battle outside of the ones she had with Alastair and Curtis as part of her training. Plus, her training had only started relatively recently, thus giving her a lack of experience in the field. She definitely wouldn't last against a Legendary Pokémon in the heat of a battle.

She fell silent and looked down at the floor sheepishly. Alastair sighed heavily in response.

"Like I said, Rosa," he continued, "it's still too early for you. You will fight when it's obvious you can fight properly."

* * *

**Elsewhere on the Syndicate Headquarters  
Several minutes later**

Rosa growled angrily as she scrubbed the floor of a long-stretching hallway. With her were a trio of extremely peculiar-looking janitors, but she didn't pay attention to them. Instead, she continued scrubbing the floor aggressively, all the while repeating Alastair's reasoning over and over in her mind.

_**"I'm sorry, but it's still too early for you."**_

_**"I'm sorry, but it's still too early for you."**_

_**"I'm sorry, but it's still too early for you."**_

"I'm sorry, but it's still too early for you," repeated Rosa out loud, her voice shaking. "I'm sorry, but it's still too early for you. Well, what the hell is THAT supposed to mean?! Yeah, sure, I'm not adequately prepared, but I can still do it! After all, I've done my research on the Legendary Pokémon we're targeting! Maybe I can bring it down with a well-crafted strategy! Maybe I might not have to fight it much! Maybe I can just... Maybe I can just... Oh, who am I kidding?! I can't do it, I know it!"

"Yeah, don't we all?..." replied one of the janitors, a man with chin-length blue hair who was wearing dark sunglasses.

"I wasn't talking to you." However, Rosa sighed heavily as she stopped scrubbing. "I know Alastair's right and all, but...but if only he can take me more seriously and treat me like an adult, an actual _member_ of the Syndicate...not like a little kid who needs to be watched over... That's what I expect from him..."

"Trust me, he knows what's best for you," a new voice piped. Rosa looked over her shoulder and saw Curtis standing a few feet away from her. "He really does."

The girl rolled her eyes and resumed scrubbing the floor. "If he does know what's best for me, then can't he at least spend more time filling me in?"

"Filling you in?" Curtis repeated. "Filling you in on what?"

"On what the Syndicate does, what it's going to do, what its motivations are, pretty much everything we're doing. He could at least try to prepare me so I don't waste my time doing trivial stuff like this." She gestured towards the mop she was using. "Contributing to the Syndicate, my ass. I can do better than this!"

"And I know you can. Alastair knows you can too. But you're young-"

"So are you!" interrupted Rosa in protest. "You're young, yet you're one of the Benefactor's lieutenants! And I've been in the Syndicate for as long as you have!"

"Well, that's actually because I've known Alastair longer than you have. The man was like a brother to me and he felt the same way towards me. He already had a lot of trust in me at that time, and he vouched for me when the Benefactor was filling up high positions of power. You, we've been practically your parents for four years. All that can't just go without saying we feel some sort of parental responsibility over you, Alastair included. We're just concerned-"

"I'm not a child, though. I never had the luxury of a childhood." Rosa's eyes narrowed darkly. "I've seen and done things regular children never do. Things that they'd have the worst of nightmares about." She looked away. "You know that better than anyone. And yet, you compare me to a child? That's...That's actually _hurtful_..."

Curtis's eyes widened in shock as the memories of what he learned about Rosa returned to his mind. He looked away in embarrassment.

"Oh, Arceus..." he moaned in a low voice. "You're... You're right. I-I'm sorry. I never should've made such an analogy-"

"But I guess that's where you're right," Rosa interrupted again.

The green-haired boy looked back at his friend. "Come again?"

"I'm haunted by my past, always have been," she explained. "I never had a childhood, not so much as a proper upbringing. You rectified that shortcoming somewhat when we first met four years ago. All of you. That's why I want to prove myself to you, just as much as I wanna bring pride to my mother's name, and also to that of Team Plasma. But my emotions, my reasoning, they're compromised by what I experienced when I was younger, all the things I went through. Alastair knew that."

"Then surely you know why he thinks it's too early for you," Curtis replied.

"Yes, but still, I wish to prove myself. If Alastair doesn't even prepare me for what's to come, at the very least, then I can't tell if he's actually taking me serious, or if he's handling the situation the wrong way, or whatever. Either way, in the meantime, I'm stuck doing household chores, like a maid or something."

"Yeah, man!" exclaimed another of the peculiar janitors, who looked abnormally short, with a set of Meowth-like whiskers. "Dis work is brutal mistreatment, I tell ya!"

"Hey, we weren't talking to you!" snapped Curtis. "Get back to scrubbing, or I'll report you to your supervisor!"

"Oi, yes sir..." the janitor moaned as he rejoined his comrades in their duties.

Meanwhile, Curtis looked back at Rosa. "I understand what you're trying to say, Rosa. And I'll tell Alastair about it. But I can't make any real promises-"

"It's okay. That was all I'm asking." Rosa's smile widened. "Thank you, Curtis. I always knew I could count on you as a friend."

"Yeah. Friend." Curtis returned the girl's smile with one of his own, though it looked stiff.

* * *

**A couple of hours later**

"Alright, everyone! Listen up!"

J and her five comrades came to full attention as they all stared at the seventh member of their elite team, a teenage boy named Orlando who appeared to be one of the lieutenants of the organization that hired them. J noted how the boy was so young, probably even around the same age as a certain Trainer she had the complete misfortune of running into more than a few times during her glory days as a highly sought-after Pokémon Poacher. Just the thought of him made her seethe in anger.

However, she managed to hold her personal emotions at bay for the moment. She knew it wasn't the most appropriate time to lash out at something random.

"We have a new mission on our hands!" announced Orlando as he passed his colleagues several files.

"What's the Legendary Pokémon of focus this time?" Elena asked.

"Glad you asked, Elena, because this is a good one. Right now, our headquarters is nearing the Unova region, which is home to the two legendary dragons, Reshiram and Zekrom. Our radar has detected Reshiram flying around Unova airspace for the past year, although Zekrom continues to evade us at the moment."

"Let me guess," J piped. "We apprehend Reshiram and pray to Arceus that Zekrom will respond to protect its brethren."

"Correct. Now, this is the first time the organization has gone after a Legendary Pokémon of a supreme level in power. We have been working our way up according to power estimates, and we are now taking a shot at the big-league Legendaries. Now, the Syndicate Seven's mission to capture Lugia and the Legendary Bird Pokémon of the Orange Islands was a complete success, so the Benefactor has faith in us succeeding in this mission as well. Note that we shall be assisted by Syndicate grunts, who will provide us with extra firepower. We are expected to capture Reshiram within fifteen minutes, so don't waste any time, and _do not_ hold back in dealing critical damage to the target. Remember, do not underestimate Reshiram and its power. The citizens of Unova don't worship it for nothing. Now, any questions?"

Elena raised her hand, prompting Orlando to point at her. "Where exactly are we gonna be capturing Reshiram?"

"Over Pinwheel Forest, so don't worry about attracting any potential witnesses. However, once the mission is done, we are expected to burn most of the forest down."

"Understood."

Ferno snickered before replying, "Now _that_ sounds like something I can live with."

"Okay." Orlando scanned the rest of the Syndicate Seven. "Any other questions that you feel need to be answered before we go on with the program?" No one raised their hands, as expected from a no-nonsense team of Pokémon Poachers. "Alright, excellent. You are all dismissed. We will arrive at the location in two hours."

* * *

**Pinwheel Forest, Unova**

The man with bright-green hair and wearing a white shirt, a black undershirt, a black-and-gray cap, and brown pants dashed down the bustling wildlife trail, followed by dozens of forest Pokémon. However, none of the Pokémon seemed interested in attacking him; instead, they all appeared to be running _with_ him. The man looked around, quickly examining his Pokémon comrades, before looking back at the trail with a wide smile of satisfaction.

After a few minutes of running, the man spotted his destination ahead: a cottage, which appeared to have been recently built with spare materials. Once he and all of his Pokémon compatriots reached the cottage, the front door opened up, and two young women stepped out of the building, their lips curved into small but bright and welcoming smiles. One of the women had pink hair and dark-pink eyes, and wore a green coat, a white shirt, and a pink-and-white skirt with large pockets. The other had brown eyes and blonde hair tied into a ponytail, and was wearing a blue shirt and a yellow skirt, also with large pockets.

"Anthea," the green-haired man greeted as he walked up to the two women. "Concordia."

"N," replied the pink-haired woman, smiling with relief.

"How was the scouting trip?" the blonde woman asked.

"Well, we turned up nothing," N replied, looking at his Pokémon, who were all grazing the tufts of grass growing near the cottage. "No sign of Team Plasma at all." His eyes narrowed as he looked up at the sky. "It's disconcerting, to say the least. The fact that Ghetsis hasn't seized this chance of freedom to commit wrongdoings..."

"Then we _must_ continue to be on the alert," said the blonde woman.

"Agreed, Concordia," the pink-haired woman replied. "Ghetsis could be waiting for us to lower our guard. He's not the type to strike when his target is at its prime."

"I couldn't agree any more..." N said, although he was still looking up at the sky, his expression serious.

Anthea, sensing what he was thinking, placed a hand on her foster brother's shoulder, catching his attention.

"Is it Reshiram?" she asked softly.

"Yes." N looked at her, his face etched with concern. "Ever since Ghetsis and the rest of Team Plasma escaped, I began feeling its distress and discomfort. It no doubt sensed what happened and doesn't want a repeat of last year's occurrences. That must be why we've been sensing it nearby more lately."

"Do you think we should alert Ash and his friends about Team Plasma's escape? Maybe we haven't seen hide nor hair of Ghetsis because he's targeting _them_ first."

However, N suddenly chuckled happily. "If so, then the problem is already out of our hands. I have complete faith that Ash could handle the situation effectively, even without our assistance. I've seen it within his soul; he is certainly more than capable of doing outstanding things when no one else can."

Anthea blinked, surprised that N would willingly make such an unorthodox conclusion. However, she smiled softly as the woman remembered her brief but memorable encounters with the raven-haired Trainer, his Pikachu, and his supportive friends. There was no longer any doubt in her mind that they could handle Ghetsis and Team Plasma on their own. After all, they proved that they could accomplish even the impossible, in the face of adversity, despite their ideals that were so vastly different.

Just then, N, Anthea, and Concordia glared at the forest Pokémon, sensing an emotional disturbance among all of them. They all stopped grazing and were crying and roaring loudly in distress. Then, an earsplitting roar filled the atmosphere, so loud that the three recluses screamed and covered their ears.

**"IT'S RESHIRAM!"** N screamed over the roaring.

Seconds later, a massive shadow passed over them at quick speeds, followed by a powerful rush of wind.

* * *

**In the skies of Pinwheel Forest**

With the loud roar of engines, the large, futuristic transport jet flew across the sky. The jet was positioned several yards above the forest treetops. As they passed by, many Flying-type Pokémon perched on the top branches were startled and flew off in fear. Inside the jet were the Syndicate Seven and several Syndicate grunts.

"What's the current position of the target?!" asked Orlando, glaring at the pilot.

"Target is 2,485 feet away and coming in fast," the Team Plasma grunt replied. "Point of contact at fifteen minutes. Prepare to engage!"

"Alright, you heard the man!" Orlando stood up from his seat, tightening the straps of his backpack. "Let's roll!"

"RIGHT!" chorused the six other Poachers as they stood up and repeated Orlando's movements.

Once everyone had their items secured, Orlando looked at the pilot, who nodded at him before pressing several buttons on the cockpit. The jet began to slow down as a door at the rear began to open up, filling the interior with gusts of wind. The Syndicate Seven quickly retrieved their helmets and placed them over their heads, just minutes before running as fast as they could through the open rear door and consequently plunging down to the forest below.

Then, just as the seven Pokémon Poachers were close to hitting the treetops...

"DEPLOY PARACHUTES!" Orlando shouted through a telecom.

Seven parachutes, all in different colors appeared in the sky.

* * *

**Pinwheel Forest**

N, Anthea, Concordia, and several forest Pokémon ran into an open clearing of the forest, where they could see seven parachutes slowly descending down the sky and into the thick confines of the forest. In the distance, the same roar from before echoed through the air. N growled angrily, knowing what these humans were doing.

"There's no way the motivations of those humans are pure..." Concordia said softly. "No way..."

"They definitely aren't," replied N. "There's no doubt of the truth. They're after Reshiram!" His eyes narrowed. "We must find a way to stop them, before it's too late!"

* * *

Elsewhere, the Syndicate Seven landed close by one another, in the middle of numerous trees. Once everyone landed safely, they unstrapped the backpacks carrying their parachutes before regrouping beside a particularly large tree. Looking around, observing the foreign territory, J approached Orlando.

"What now, Orlando sir?" the veteran Poacher asked.

"We wait," Orlando replied as he pulled out a Poké Ball. "The transport jet will direct Reshiram towards us. Once it approaches our vicinity, the pilots will alert us. And as soon as Reshiram arrives, you will all attack it and bring it down. I will be a few yards away to provide last-minute assistance if needed."

"What will we do once we bring it down?" asked Marks as he cracked his knuckles.

"Yes, there's no doubt it will retaliate even if grounded," Copper added.

"Continue attacking it, keep it distracted for the moment," explained Orlando. "I will move back to your position and summon Groudon to deal the finishing blows. You six support me at every chance you have. Give it everything you've got, because Reshiram will _definitely_ not hesitate to use its powers to get itself out of the situation and escape." He prepared to leave before stopping and turning back to his comrades. "And remember, be wary of its special attacks. Now, what are they again?"

"Fusion Flare and Blue Flare," J replied professionally.

"Excellent. Now, I wish you all the best of luck. May the tide of luck be ever in our favor."

"Same with you, Orlando."

The teenage boy nodded before running off further into the woods. This left the six Poachers behind to ready themselves.

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters  
****Above Pinwheel Forest**

Rosa stood silently beside hundreds of various grunts as they all stood in the headquarters' cafeteria, observing a large television screen displaying a live recording of the Syndicate Seven and the transport jet making the necessary final preparations before engaging Reshiram head-on. The girl's eyes narrowed angrily as she glared at Alastair, who was standing on the balcony of an upper floor, watching the television screen as well with a triumphant expression on his face.

She growled angrily before dropping the mop she was holding and leaving the cafeteria, unnoticed by all.

_"I can't just sit around scrubbing floors and cleaning hallways!"_ she thought. _"I've gotta do something _real_! Screw what Alastair says!"_

* * *

**Pinwheel Forest**

The six Pokémon Poachers sat near the large tree, waiting for Reshiram to arrive so they could launch their attack. Minutes earlier, they called out their best Pokémon and Mega Evolved them using the Mega Stones provided to them by Alastair. All of them were covering a different direction from which Reshiram could appear: J and Salamence were covering the group's front, Copper and Beedrill were covering their right, Marks and Steelix were covering the southwest corner, Elena and Ampharos were covering the left, Kelling and Medicham were covering the northeastern direction, and Ferno and Houndoom covered the rear.

"Stay sharp, everyone," J ordered in a low voice.

"Have we ever?" replied Copper sarcastically.

"Shhhhh!" Kelling snapped harshly. "Quiet! You're disturbing my train of thought, and Medicham's."

The other Poachers rolled their eyes mockingly before glaring back down their respective directions. They could hear firing sounds and Reshiram's distant roars. They knew it wouldn't be long until the Vast White Pokémon came barreling down their direction. But as long as they were ready and willing, then they would-

Several String Shots suddenly flew through the air, tying up Copper. However, Beedrill fired Pin Missile, freeing its Trainer from the sticky strands.

"What in Arceus's NAME?!" snapped the Poison-type specialist.

Then, a flurry of Razor Leafs, Leaf Storms, and Thunderbolts appeared, warding the six Poachers away from their original positions.

"Where's all of that coming from?!" Ferno snarled.

"From _us_!" another voice shouted. The six Poachers watched as N, Anthea, Concordia, and dozens of forest Pokémon arrived on the scene.

"WHAT?!" Elena cried. "There weren't supposed to be any _humans_ hanging around here!"

"You leave Reshiram alone at once!" Anthea cried angrily, while several Pokémon roared and growled in agreement.

"Yeah, in your dreams, pretty eyes," Marks replied smugly. Then, he pointed at the forest Pokémon. "Steelix, use Flash Cannon on these meddling intruders!"

The Mega Evolved Iron Snake Pokémon fired the Steel-type attack at the opposing group before N, Anthea, and Concordia could react. Seconds later, they, along with dozens of forest Pokémon, were sent flying violently across the air. As soon as N hit the trunk of a nearby tree hard, he could suddenly hear Reshiram roaring angrily, but not from a distance; instead, he could hear it within the confines of his mind. His eyelids fluttered open, and he could see two of the Poachers closing in on him.

"Re...Reshiram..." he moaned as he struggled to get up.

"Oh, look at that, man!" exclaimed Ferno, snickering deviously. "He's trying to get up! How _adorable_..."

"Well, as amusing as that is," Copper replied, "we've gotta finish him. Remember what the boss said."

"Yesssss..." Ferno's sadistic grin widened even further as his Houndoom closed in on N. "No _survivors_..."

Houndoom barked savagely and opened its mouth, preparing to bite down on N's neck. However, before it could do so, two Vine Whips quickly appeared and wrapped themselves around the Dark Pokémon's abdomen, raising it in the air as it barked angrily. Ferno growled aggressively, while Copper pointed at the source of the Vine Whip, which turned out to be a Servine, backed up by a few other forest Pokémon that were still conscious and moving.

"Beedrill, dispatch these fools with a Sludge Bomb!" he ordered.

However, a Serperior slithered into the fray and fired an Energy Ball at Beedrill, knocking it down to the ground before it could fire its own attack.

"FOR THE LOVE OF ARCEUS!" an infuriated J shouted, having finished defeating any remaining Pokémon that were challenging her. "SALAMENCE!"

Salamence roared and fired a Hyper Beam at the Serperior, Servine, and other forest Pokémon, defeating them instantly. As a result, Houndoom dropped down to the ground, its captor unconscious, and glanced at the spot where N was previously sitting, only to find the green-haired man gone.

"Son of a!" snarled Ferno. "Where'd that guy GO?!"

"I can't _believe_ you two let him get away!" J cried, staring down Ferno and Copper. "The boss said no witnesses! Now what's he gonna say when he learns of this?!"

"It wasn't our fault!" shouted Copper defensively. "It was those Arceus-damn forest Pokémon-"

"Which the two of you could've handled with great ease! You're both among the best Pokémon Poachers out there, isn't that right?! Obviously, the Benefactor thought so, otherwise he wouldn't have hired you guys!" J's eyes then narrowed menacingly. "But from what I can see, you two are nothing but a couple of sorry amateurs!"

"Hey, who are YOU calling _amateurs_?!" Ferno growled nastily.

"Stop it this instant, the three of you," interjected Kelling abruptly, stopping the argument before it could escalate. Even after the attempted attack by N and all of his compatriots, he seemed to be the only one who remained calm throughout the entire event. "The original plan is still standing, despite our little interruption. We must remain prepared for the impending arrival of Reshiram, otherwise it will all fall to shambles. Do any of you agree with that?"

Realizing they were close to straying away from their mission, J, Ferno, and Copper looked at each other before nodding in agreement.

"Understood," J replied. "My most sincere apologies for the outburst."

"Same here," added Copper.

"Ditto," Ferno said.

Kelling then glanced at Marks and Elena, both of whom had already dispatched their own opponents. The two nodded at him in agreement to his honest statement.

"Good," he said. "Well, now that those meddlesome pests are out of our hair for the moment, let us refocus. We can worry about those humans for later."

As the six Poachers all regrouped, they failed to notice Andrea and Concordia hiding behind the trunk of another tree, an unconscious N at their side.

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters  
****Above Pinwheel Forest**

"Well..." Alastair remarked as he watched the television screen, which recorded N's attempt to stop the Syndicate Seven, "that was..._interesting_..."

"Alastair, sir!" a voice shouted, catching his attention. He turned around and saw Ghetsis, the leader of Team Plasma, running up to him, followed by two grunts.

"Something important you need to say, Ghetsis?" asked Alastair in a passive tone. "Because if not, I suggest you-"

"That man," Ghetsis interrupted. "The one that was recorded earlier, I _know_ him. I swear to Arceus, I know him!"

"Oh, that's lovely, Ghetsis, but I don't have time to hear your precious back-story-"

"The man's name is Natural Harmonia Gropius, otherwise known as N. He was vital to Team Plasma's original scheme."

Alastair's interest was finally piqued. "Vital, you say?"

Ghetsis grinned excitedly. "Yes, he was extremely vital... The central component to Team Plasma's mission, in fact. You see, he has the ability to understand Pokémon and what they are saying. With him under our wing, the Syndicate could probably use him to placate whatever Legendary Pokémon we aspire to capture next!"

The Syndicate lieutenant looked at Ghetsis and realized how serious he was. After considering the idea, his lips curved into a smile.

* * *

Elsewhere, on the flight hangar, Rosa stepped through the sliding doors. She was wearing a pilot uniform, complete with a helmet. Looking around to make sure there weren't any guards around, the teenage girl then made a mad dash towards the nearest transport jet, which was located on the other side of the landing deck.

* * *

**Pinwheel Forest**

_**"Alright, Syndicate Seven, we've just gotten an amendment to our mission,"**_ Orlando announced on the telecom.

"An amendment?" J asked, her eyebrow raised.

_**"Yes. Apparently, Alastair wants us to also retrieve a couple of humans. He says you six saw them minutes earlier."**_

"Yes, that's right," replied Marks. "This green-haired guy, a couple of chicks, and several forest Pokémon just tried to meddle with our affairs."

_**"Those three people, Alastair wants us to apprehend them along with Reshiram. Apparently, the man can understand what **_**_Pokémon are saying and had a previous affiliation with Team Plasma. Their leader said he could be useful in placating future Legendaries we'll try to capture."_**

"In other words," Ferno snarled disapprovingly, "steal the glory from us."

"Silence, Ferno," replied J harshly. "Regardless, it's now a part of our mission, and if we want our paychecks, then we have to abide."

"Fine..."

_**"Now that's unconditional loyalty right there, ****Pokémon Hunter J. I'm pleased by your dedication."**_

"And I am honored, Orlando sir," J said.

_**"Alright. Now remember, we stick to the original mission, but we must also capture those three people. Orlando out."**_

After switching off her telecom, Elena looked up at the sky and asked impatiently, "Okay, what the hell is taking our people in the sky so Arceus-damn long?! I mean, I can clearly hear them engaging the target, but I haven't seen one single hair of Reshiram's fur anywhere in plain sight!"

"Patience, Elena," Kelling replied calmly. "Remember, this is a particularly powerful Legendary Pokémon. It is natural for our allies to be having some difficulties."

"Difficulties, my ass. The targets I've been hired to capture back in the day weren't this evasive. I say we move in on Reshiram instead of the other way around!"

"If we do that, then we lose a considerable fraction of our paychecks, Elena," J said. "We must remain patient. We cannot engage Reshiram while it's still in its prime."

Elena growled angrily and resumed covering her direction with her Mega Evolved Ampharos. Just then, Reshiram roared again, and this time, it sounded closer. As the Pokémon Poachers began looking around, they heard the other line of their telecoms switching on, indicating Orlando was tuning in again.

_**"I'VE JUST RECEIVED WORD!" **_he announced._** "RESHIRAM IS ON ITS WAY TO YOUR POSITION! ATTACK WITH ALL YOU'VE GOT!"**_

"About damn time!" Elena shouted as her Ampharos began shooting off small volts of electricity in anticipation.

"Alright, get ready, everyone!" ordered J as all six Poachers stared at her direction, where they could hear Reshiram approaching.

Finally, a few minutes later, Reshiram violently burst through the trees, being bombarded relentlessly by gunfire and Pokémon attacks. It roared in pain and agony as a Stone Edge attack struck its wing, forcing it to descend lower towards the ground. J gritted her teeth as she hopped on her Salamence's back.

"ALRIGHT, EVERYONE!" she called as Salamence flew higher into the air. "**ATTACK**!"

More attacks flew from the Pokémon Poachers' Mega Evolved Pokémon, all of which caused Reshiram to roar out again before crash-landing into the ground, downed by the never-ending hail of attacks it was receiving. It raised its head and fired a Flamethrower at J and her Salamence, though they were able to dodge it before the Dragon Pokémon retaliated with a Hyper Beam. The powerful attack struck it head-on, drawing another pained screech from the Vast White Pokémon.

Ferno began to cackle as he watched Reshiram struggle to get up.

"Oh, look at that!" he shouted. "He's trying to get up! How _adorable_..." He then pointed at Reshiram. "Houndoom! Use Crunch!"

The Dark Pokémon rushed towards the fallen Reshiram at high speeds and bit down on its neck hard, piercing its skin with its glowing teeth. Reshiram screeched for a second time before shaking Houndoom off it with ease. Then, it fired a beam of blue flames, hitting the Houndoom and knocking it unconscious.

"GAH! HOUNDOOM!" shrieked Ferno.

**_"__FOOLS! The whole lot of you!"_**

The six Poachers all flinched upon hearing Reshiram's voice reverberate in their heads. However, J kept her cool and quickly recovered from the surprise.

"Ah, so you speak telepathy now, huh?" she replied.

_**"Release me this instant,"**_ Reshiram said, _**"or you shall all face my wrath in due time!"**_

"Oh, I am afraid we cannot do that, dear ole Reshiram. No, no, our paychecks are on the line. But don't worry." Salamence opened its mouth, a bright-orange sphere forming inside it. "We'll make sure our employers give you the best possible living accommodations for the next few weeks."

Salamence then fired a Hyper Beam from its mouth. However, Reshiram fired another Blue Flare, which hit the Hyper Beam and triggered a massive explosion.

"CRAP!" Elena shouted as she shielded her eyes from the billowing cloud of smoke. "AMPHAROS, USE DISCHARGE!"

The Light Pokémon unleashed numerous bolts of yellow electricity from its body, all of which channeled towards Reshiram. However, they all missed, and Reshiram let out another screech before firing a massive sphere of flames with rings encircling it. The sphere struck the ground in front of the Pokémon Poachers, and despite their success in dodging it, the subsequent explosion sent them all flying backward. Reshiram took this opportunity to take flight.

J, who was still atop Salamence and therefore avoided the explosion, growled angrily, attracting the Vast White Pokémon's attention.

_**"You were **_**warned_, human,"_** Reshiram snarled. _**"Now, you shall face the consequences!"**_

Reshiram opened its mouth, another Fusion Flare sphere forming. However, before it could fire it, the Syndicate transport jet suddenly appeared.

_"Ah, yes,"_ J thought. _"The cavalry's arrived."_

_**"What?!"**_ cried Reshiram as it turned around, spotting the jet.

The jet opened fire on the Vast White Pokémon, forcing it dodge the hail of bullets. It then fired another Fusion Flare, but the jet was able to dodge the attack. J took advantage of Reshiram's distraction to have Salamence fire a Hyper Beam at it. This time, the attack made a successful hit. Then, five more attacks struck Reshiram from underneath, severely wounding it. J looked down and realized it was her colleagues with the Syndicate Seven.

Reshiram roared angrily, fired a Blue Flare at the transport jet that wound up missing, and began flying away. Salamence fired a Dragon Pulse at it, but missed.

"DAMN IT!" shrieked J. Then, she activated her telecom and waited for Orlando's response.

_**"Hey, J,"**_ responded the teenage boy. _**"I see the target incoming."**_

"Well, you better take care of it, Orlando!"

_**"Yeah, what do ya think I've been doing?! Orlando out."**_

Several seconds later, there was a sudden flash of bright crimson light, followed by a tremendous, powerful roar that sounded off, a minute later. After another couple of minutes passed, the crimson light faded within seconds, and where was once empty air now stood none other than Groudon, towering tall above the treetops, in its Primal Reversion form. An unnatural heat filled the entire forest. A surprised Reshiram stopped in mid-flight, recognizing Groudon and screeching loudly at it.

Groudon responded with an earsplitting, aggressive roar that could be heard for many, many miles.

* * *

**Pinwheel Forest**

"N? N?! N!"

N's eyes fluttered open, and he found himself staring into two pairs of eyes, one dark-pink, the other brown. Moaning, the green-haired man realized he was lying on fresh blades on grass. Then, he quickly remembered the group of six Poachers, and their intention to capture Reshiram for their nefarious needs. N sat up, despite the severe aching of his back. For some reason, there was an unnatural heat hanging over the forest, so intense that he was already sweating.

"Reshiram!" he cried. "What happened to Reshiram?!"

"Relax, N," Anthea replied. "Reshiram's safe. It managed to evade those terrible humans-"

"No. No, it didn't." N looked up at the sky, fury flashing across his eyes. "We've underestimated these humans. They're now using an unimaginable power against it."

"An unimaginable power?..." asked Concordia.

However, before she could ask for an explanation, an earsplitting roar sounded across the air. It was so powerful that it was blowing against the trees with the force of an extremely powerful hurricane. N, Anthea, and Concordia screamed loudly and covered their ears, although N was the only one in the trio who didn't flinch. Instead, the green-haired man was still looking up at the sky. He knew for a fact that Reshiram was in grave danger, and that he had to do something to rescue it.

* * *

**In the skies of Pinwheel Forest**

Reshiram screeched out and fired a Fusion Flare attack. Groudon roared and fired a Solar Beam in return. Both attacks collided and exploded violently, illuminating all of Pinwheel Forest in a bright yellowish-orange light. The force of the explosion was so powerful that all trees in its vicinity were knocked down and even burned down to their trunks. Once the explosion cleared, a Blue Flare suddenly emerged through the cloud of smoke, hitting Groudon in the face.

The Continent Pokémon roared in anger as it flinched. As soon as it recovered from the hit, it shook the cloud of smoke away from its eyes.

Once its vision was fully clear, Groudon realized that Reshiram had taken the opportunity to fly away once again.

On Groudon's shoulder sat Orlando. However, despite Reshiram's escape, he was grinning deviously. He started shaking his head and tutting mockingly.

"A shame," he remarked. "I expected better from a Legendary like Reshiram. _But_ it won't get too far." He made a passive gesture. "Groudon, Precipice Blades."

Groudon's eyes began to glow a golden color. A minute later, a single row of incandescent bladed stones shot up from beneath the ground, forming a circle around the entire area within a one-mile radius. The bladed stones reached so high up in the sky and were glowing so brightly that Orlando, using his advanced binoculars, could see anything and everything trying to fly up above it. It didn't take him long to make out the white outline that was Reshiram, which had stopped in front of one such obstacle and was now trying to fly higher into the air in an upward direction, undoubtedly hoping to reach the top of the bladed stone and fly over it.

"How foolish," Orlando said. Then, he activated his telecom. "Syndicate Seven, the target is a few miles at your northeast. Follow the direction of my Solar Beam."

_**"Understood,"**_ came the response of J's voice. _**"Seven out."**_

The teenage boy shut off his telecom before pointing down his northeast.

"Groudon, Solar Beam!" he commanded.

The Continent Pokémon roared and fired another Solar Beam down that direction, hitting one of the bladed stones, causing it to begin collapsing. He watched through his binoculars as a slab of stone collapsed on top of Reshiram, sending it hurtling down towards the ground, screeching in pain. He smirked triumphantly.

"Excellent. Onward, Groudon!"

Groudon roared again before trudging through the forest, towards the place where Reshiram collapsed. The mighty trembling of its footsteps could be felt for miles.

Little did anyone notice N, Anthea, Concordia, and several forest Pokémon following right behind the group of Syndicate hunters.

* * *

**An hour later**

Orlando, Groudon, the rest of the Syndicate Seven, and the Syndicate transport jet reached the location where Reshiram had been knocked down by the large slab of Precipice Blades. Indeed, they immediately spotted a smoking pile of stones and pebbles. Sticking out from the pile was the head of the unconscious Reshiram.

"Good work, Orlando sir!" J said as her Salamence hovered next to Orlando. "I apologize if we were unable to contain the target. We're past the deadline-"

"Oh, there's no need," interrupted the boy as he continued staring upon Reshiram's fallen body. "The great Reshiram is an extremely powerful Legendary Pokémon. It was natural that we would have initial difficulties in capturing it for our needs. The Benefactor was actually anticipating us to complete this mission late. However-" He reached into his pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a new type of Poké Ball. "-regardless of the complication, Reshiram's now under our grasp, at long last..."

"Stop it!" a voice shouted. "Stop it, this instant!"

Orlando's smirk widened as he watched N, Anthea, and Concordia ran into the fray, stopping between the advancing Syndicate forces and Reshiram's body.

"You will NOT take Reshiram!" cried Anthea angrily.

"Watch us!" growled Marks from the ground.

"You miserable, pathetic excuses for human beings..." N snarled, his clenched fists trembling severely. "Do you _really_ expect yourselves to capture Reshiram, harness its ancient power for your nefarious deeds, and control it without incident? No, doing so will only shed light to your innate foolishness!"

"Oh, believe us," Orlando said, "we know _all_ about the consequences of using Reshiram's power without its consent. But we have a way of counteracting that."

"It matters not what methods you employ!" Concordia shouted. "You will still suffer for using Reshiram's power!"

"But not before you bring doom to yourselves, and possibly the entire world!" added Anthea.

"_Please_, reconsider your motivations!" N hollered pleadingly.

"Our sincerest apologies," Orlando replied, rolling his eyes at their pleas, "but we are _dead-set_ on capturing Reshiram, no matter what..." His eyes glinted with malice. "You should consider yourselves lucky we're not eliminating you all right on the spot. We have orders to capture you three as well-"

"If Ghetsis and Team Plasma put you up to this-" began N.

"Ghetsis?" The boy's smirk widened. "You mean your father?"

"He is NOT my father. No, I can only view that man as a deceitful, selfish man who will disregard anything if it means satisfying his own needs!"

"Ouch, that's harsh." Orlando shrugged passively. "Well, I will admit, Ghetsis _is_ behind this mission. But partially so. See, I'm afraid you've underestimated us."

"What?!" N exclaimed, confused.

"Well, I'd love to give a detailed, drawn-out explanation of what's going on, but I'm afraid we're out of time." He pointed at the trio of recluses. "Seize them!"

However, before the Syndicate Seven could attack N, Anthea, and Concordia, a multitude of attacks appeared from all directions, striking the Poachers' Pokémon and badly wounding all of them, with the exception of Groudon. Orlando grunted in frustration and looked around, watching as dozens, maybe hundreds of enraged forest Pokémon stepped out of the nearby growth, roaring and growling fiercely. From the sky, many flocks of Flying-type Pokémon flew overhead, equally as angered.

"What in Arceus's name?!" exclaimed Copper as he attended to his badly wounded Beedrill.

"What's with these Pokémon?!" Elena screamed.

However, N stepped forward and explained, "Don't you see? Even the forest Pokémon know what is going to happen if you misuse Reshiram's power! They also know about the consequences of misusing the power of Groudon! Look at you all! You may all believe you have the most ancient forces of nature under your control, but it will backfire on you eventually, and when it does, there will be no survivors! You will not receive a second chance, nor a chance at fair judgment!"

"You all must stop right now, before you make it worse!" pleaded Concordia.

The forest Pokémon all roared or chirped or squeaked in agreement. However, Orlando began cackling.

"What foolery!" he exclaimed. "Do you honestly expect us to _fall_ for that? HA! We know better than that! Groudon, get rid of these pests with Precipice Blades!"

**"NO!"** N roared, but it was too late: bladed stones shot up from underneath the ground, sending many of the forest Pokémon flying in the air, severely wounded.

Groudon let out a deafening roar and continued its assault, forcing more jagged stones up from beneath the earth, hitting any Pokémon in sight.

Then, just as it was about to send out another wave of Precipice Blades, a Fusion Flare suddenly flew towards its face, hitting it straight in the jaw. The ensuing large explosion sent Groudon reeling backward, roaring angrily. Orlando was forced off the Continent Pokémon's shoulder and fell towards the ground, but the teenage boy was quickly able to recover from the fall by activating his skateboard-shaped flight device and riding on top of it.

"What the?!" he shouted. "Who did that?!" Then, his eyes widened as he saw the source of the Fusion Flare. "No... No, it CAN'T be! Groudon took you down!"

_**"And that is where you were MISTAKEN, foolish boy!"**_ Reshiram roared as it fired another Fusion Flare at his direction. Orlando braced himself for impact...

A stream of gunfire suddenly cut through the Fusion Flare, causing it to explode before it could hit Orlando. The teenager grinned and stared at the transport jet.

"I owe you one!" he shouted.

Seconds later, Reshiram fired a Blue Flare at the jet, successfully hitting it and causing it to explode. Orlando gasped in horror as he watched the fiery wreckage fall to the ground below, narrowly missing Kelling, Marks, Elena, and their Pokémon. He felt J fly up to his side on her Salamence.

"Orlando, sir!" she cried. "What should we do now?!"

Recovering from what he had just seen, Orlando pointed at Reshiram, which was roaring angrily and preparing to fire yet another Fusion Flare attack.

"WE'RE NOT GIVING UP!" he hollered. "GIVE IT EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!"

Salamence roared and fired a Hyper Beam, while Groudon fired a Solar Beam. However, Reshiram outmaneuvered both attacks and fired the Fusion Flare at Groudon, hitting it and causing it to fall over with a mighty crash, crushing dozens of trees and its own Precipice Blades in the process. The entire Syndicate Seven gasped, and then they tried to have their Pokémon attack the enraged Vast White Pokémon with their best possible attacks.

_**"FOOLISH HUMANS!"**_ Reshiram roared after being hit by several attacks. _**"I WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS!"**_

The Vast White Pokémon promptly fired a Blue Flare into the forest, setting numerous trees ablaze and forcing the five Poachers on the ground, along with N, Anthea, and Concordia, to take cover. Reshiram then stared at Orlando and J, who were still in flight, and opened its mouth, preparing to fire a Flamethrower...

"SALAMENCE, FLAMETHROWER TOO!" commanded J.

The Dragon Pokémon fired the attack, which hit Reshiram's own. The combined power of the two Flamethrowers triggered a small explosion, which caused Orlando, J, and her Salamence to flinch. Sensing the opportunity to strike, Reshiram flew through the cloud of smoke, preparing to hit Salamence. J barely managed to have her Dragon Pokémon dodge the ambush, but it was clear that Salamence was exhausted, and that the Syndicate Seven were fighting a losing battle.

"This is bad!" J shouted to Orlando.

"No, don't think pessimistically now!" ordered the teenage boy. "We must stay focused on the objective!"

"The objective's _gone_, Orlando sir, even I know that! Reshiram has us pinned down! I highly suggest making a tactical retreat!"

"WE CANNOT! THE BENEFACTOR EXPECTS US TO RETURN WITH RESHIRAM-"

_**"Orlando, come in!"**_ a voice suddenly shouted from the boy's telecom. _**"Orlando, do you read me?! This is headquarters speaking!"**_

Grunting angrily as he dodged Reshiram's Flamethrower, Orlando responded, "This is Orlando! What is it, Alastair?!"

_**"It appears we have greatly underestimated Reshiram. Your tactical support is gone, the Syndicate Seven's****Pokémon are all critical, and Reshiram is showing no signs of letting you all live! The Benefactor orders you to retreat back to headquarters at once!"**_

"Sir, we cannot do that!" Orlando protested. "We've trained ourselves for these kinds of occasions! Let us retrieve the targets for the Benefactor-"

_**"It's obvious you all haven't done enough contingency training, Orlando. Retreat NOW. We can try again later when- What?! Orlando, excuse me."**_

"Headquarters, what's going on back there?!" However, Orlando heard no response, instead incomprehensible conversing.

_**"PREPARE TO FACE **_**JUDGMENT_, HUMAN!"_** Reshiram roared suddenly as it flew up in front of Orlando and prepared to fire a Fusion Flare.

Orlando screamed and flinched, preparing himself to be burned into ashes, but seconds later...

**"RESHIRAM, NO!"**

Reshiram stopped its attack and looked down at the ground. Following its gaze, Orlando saw the Vast White Pokémon was looking at N, Anthea, and Concordia.

_**"Do not interfere!"**_ Reshiram shouted angrily. _**"I must punish this insolent boy!"**_

"By killing him?!" N called back. "Reshiram, I understand you're angry at these humans! Believe me, I am too! But you already have them incapacitated! They cannot do anything further to you now! There is no need to do the unthinkable to them!" He stepped forward, his arms outstretched. "Please, Reshiram. Don't do it..."

Orlando watched as Reshiram's composure suddenly relaxed considerably and its blue eyes stared deeply into N, who in turn was smiling kindly at it. The teenage boy could tell that there was some sort of personal connection already formed between the two of them. After all, there was no way the legendary Reshiram would refrain from attacking N if he was so willing to kill him and his comrades just minutes earlier. Such an interaction actually intrigued the boy...

Suddenly, Orlando spotted something at the corner of his eye, and so did Reshiram. They both looked at their right and saw another Syndicate transport jet, flying at Reshiram with high speeds. Before the Vast White Pokémon could react, the jet opened fire on it, striking it numerous times and drawing a pained cry from it.

**"NO!"** screamed N as he tried to run forward, only to be restrained by Anthea and Concordia. **"NO, RESHIRAM!"**

"What the?!" Orlando exclaimed. "There's _reinforcements_?!"

A second later, a female voice spoke through his telecom, calling out, _**"Hello? Hello?! Can you guys hear me?!"**_

"I-I hear you, loud and clear!" replied Orlando. "Who is this?! Are-Are you the pilot of that jet?!"

_**"Yes, that's me! Name's Rosa, at your service! Now quick, while Reshiram's wounded and distracted! Groudon should be fully recovered by now!"**_

Orlando looked at the fallen Continent Pokémon and realized she was right: it was standing up, still looking ready to fight in battle.

"YES!" The boy pointed at Reshiram as it crashed into one of Groudon's towering Precipice Blades, tumbling down it. "GROUDON, USE SOLAR BEAM!"

Groudon roared and fired a particularly powerful Solar Beam at Reshiram's direction. The attack hit it head-on and triggered a large explosion, so powerful that many Precipice Blades in its vicinity were reduced to collapsing piles of rubble. Once the smoke cleared, Orlando grunted angrily as he saw Reshiram struggling to get up.

"Oh, for the love of ARCEUS!" he snapped. "Won't Reshiram just go DOWN?!"

_**"I've got it!"**_ Rosa announced on her telecom.

Seconds later, the jet flew closer to Reshiram and opened fire on it, incapacitating it and drawing screeches of pain from the Vast White Pokémon. Rosa was joined by the rest of the Syndicate Seven, sans Orlando, who all became inspired by the new advantage and ordered their Pokémon to attack as well.

"Quick, Orlando!" shouted J. "Now's your chance!"

Orlando blinked, at first shocked to know that the Syndicate now had the upper hand again. Then, he grinned happily and pulled out his Poké Ball-like device...

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters  
****Location unknown****  
Several hours later**

Alastair watched as the cage containing Reshiram was positioned in place with the other cages containing the Syndicate's captive Legendaries. This time, however, he had mixed reactions about the organization's latest success. Of course, he should feel happy that Reshiram was captured despite initial difficulties. However...

"Alastair, sir!" a voice piped, catching his attention.

The black-haired Syndicate lieutenant didn't need to look to identify who was addressing him.

"You did well again, Orlando," he replied. "You and the rest of the Syndicate Seven."

"Thank you, sir," said Orlando, "but we owe most of this success to Rosa. Had it not been for her intervention, Reshiram would've surely destroyed us all."

"Yes..." However, Alastair's eyes narrowed. "Yes, indeed..."

* * *

**Several minutes later**

"You deliberately disobeyed our orders, _my_ orders."

"I understand that, Alastair sir."

Alastair, Rosa, Charon, Curtis, and Brodie were all in the former's office. Alastair and Rosa were sitting in their respective chairs at the desk, while the others stood at the former's sides. Alastair and Brodie were wearing stern looks, Charon was sneering deviously, and Curtis was staring solemnly at Rosa, who looked meek, knowing she had done it this time and that she was about to receive some unfair, but just punishment. There was a tense feeling hanging in the air.

Alastair continued, in his stern voice, "You abandoned your post, sneaked into the flight hangar with a false ID, stole one of our jets, and used it to interrupt a mission despite the risks and consequences." He leaned forward on the desk. "Do you have _any_ idea what you nearly did to cost the Syndicate this mission?"

"I do, Alastair sir," replied Rosa, "but last I heard, the Syndicate Seven was having difficulties in capturing Reshiram and two of the humans, and we lost nine grunts."

"Indeed, that is true, but-"

"There _is_ no 'but', Alastair." Rosa stood up from her chair defiantly. "I handled the situation, didn't I? We didn't lose Reshiram or those people, did we? Did we?!"

"We lost one target, Rosa."

"It's just one target."

"One target's enough to undermine the entire objective, Rosa."

"But we burned down all of Pinwheel Forest within minutes, right after we captured Reshiram and the other targets. There's no doubt she would've escaped that."

Alastair and the other lieutenants remained silent. Finally, after a while, Alastair exhaled sharply.

"Yes," he replied. "Yes, that is correct..."

"Yeah, that's right. I _helped_ capture Reshiram. I provided a vital role in our latest success! I know you want me to be more prepared, but I don't know how prepared I am going to get before you are satisfied! But it's obvious from what just happened that I'm more than fully prepared to handle missions." She then crossed her arms. "But I guess you are right. I disobeyed orders. I disregarded the potential consequences of my intervention and I think I should be given a rightful punishment. So go on, sir, go on! Assign me to cleaning duty in the bathrooms of the lower floors! Give me repair duty! Lock me up in my room! I don't really care anymore!"

Alastair's eyes narrowed as he stared into Rosa's blue eyes. He knew she was bluffing. After all, she just demonstrated her usefulness in a vital mission and there was no way the Benefactor would let this kind of use for the Syndicate's master plan go. He couldn't help but smile at that fact.

Rosa noticed this and asked, "What? Have you thought up of something radical to punish me with?"

"No, not really," he replied.

"Well, sir," Charon piped, "if you don't have any ideas, then I suggest-"

"Leave us," interrupted Alastair suddenly. He looked at the rest of the lieutenants. "All of you."

Curtis and Brodie immediately obeyed and walked out of the office, while Charon stayed behind for a moment. However, after Alastair gave him a hard stare, the lead scientist grunted in defeat and reluctantly left. He had obviously been wanting to see what kind of punishment Alastair would give Rosa.

Finally, once the three lieutenants were gone, Alastair looked back at Rosa with a serious expression.

"So," he said, "you wish to be useful in a mission..."

"Damn right, Alastair!" replied Rosa angrily. "What do you think I've begging to you for the past several months?!"

"I am aware, Rosa. And to be honest-" The black-haired man grinned as he adjusted his glasses. "-I've known that all along."

"Yeah, that's right! You..." Rosa stopped and blinked rapidly in confusion. "Wait a minute, _what_?!"

"I've known it all along, how useful you'd be."

The girl frowned angrily. "Are you freaking kidding me, Alastair?"

"No, I kid you not, Rosa. Ever since I first met you, I knew how useful you'd be for the Syndicate's cause, how you'd be vital in accomplishing our goal."

"Really? Then what was with all the crap about it being too early for me?!"

Alastair's glasses glinted with the light. "To test you."

"...To test me..." repeated Rosa.

"Yes, to test you. See, I wanted to learn exactly how dedicated you would be in proving your usefulness. In fact, I was hoping the outcome would be you disregarding my orders and doing something as drastic as what you just did earlier today." His grin widened. "What pleases me is that I didn't expect you to do it so early, though. I gave you another month or two, tops, before you'd go out and do something like this. But I'm satisfied, either way. You've proven yourself, Rosa."

"I...I _did_?..." Rosa asked, astounded by what she was hearing.

"Yes. And now, I want you to do something for the Syndicate."

"You...You _do_?..."

"Yes. See, there's a mission assembled by me and the Benefactor, specifically for you. That is...if you're _interested_."

* * *

Minutes later, Rosa stepped out of Alastair's office, an emotionless expression on her face. She was instantly greeted by Curtis, who was leaning next to the doorway.

"So?" the teenage boy asked, approaching her. "How'd it go? What punishment did he give you?"

However, Rosa looked at Curtis, a smile beginning to grace her facial features. As soon as he registered it, Curtis's eyes widened in surprise.

"No way," he said. "R-_Really_?"

Unable to contain her happiness any longer, the teenage girl jumped in delight and shouted, "Yes! I finally did it!"

* * *

**Elsewhere on the Syndicate Headquarters**

The trio of peculiar-looking janitors continued scrubbing the floor of the hallway they were assigned to. Finally, after hours and hours of hard, laborious work, the trio suddenly stopped scrubbing and looked around cautiously, seeing if there was any potential witnesses around. Indeed, there were two Syndicate grunts, but once the duo passed them and went out of sight, there was no one else present in the hallway. Promptly, the janitors began stripping out of their clothes...

Revealing Team Rocket uniforms underneath.

"If I see another speck of dirt in my life, I swear to Arceus..." James moaned.

"Oh, can it, James!" chided Jessie in response. "It was absolutely vital that we play the innocent, useless janitors! How else were we to infiltrate the Syndicate?"

"But I think I've now developed obsessive-compulsive disorder or whatever it was called..."

"It was all for the greater good of Team Rocket!"

"Oh, will ya nut-heads can it alreadey?!" Meowth snapped. "We got work ta do!"

"Yes, that's right," Jessie replied as she acquired a set of binoculars from her bag. James and Meowth retrieved their own devices. "Are we ready?"

"Ready as evah!" exclaimed Meowth.

"Yeah!" James added. Then, he looked down at the nicely-scrubbed floor. "Hold on, just let me clean out this one last speck-"

"Are you crazy?!" cried Jessie in frustration.

"But I-"

"WE GOT WORK TO DO!"

* * *

**Almost an hour later**

After wandering around an endless maze of hallways and staircases, Jessie, James, and Meowth finally stood in front of the location they wanted to be: an extremely thick, massive vault made of reinforced steel. Softened sounds of construction and talking could be vaguely heard from the other side.

Jessie smirked and said, "Target acquired..."

* * *

_"And out from the depths of darkness, over the corpse of the great, clever dragon that had been fooled, Little Rosa departed the great cave and reentered the realm of light that she called her home. Clutched safely in her hands was the golden treasure that her tribe desired for so long. When the villagers witnessed her triumphant return, they praised her for her efforts, and the treasure was divided among all to share. And in the generations to come, Rosa and the rest of her tribe prospered. Thus ended **Rosa's big adventure**."_

–Ending passage of the short story _Rosa and the Black Dragon_, from Anthony K. Lemmins' _Anthology of Kanto's Tall Tales_

* * *

**Next time on "Judgment's Fall"**

**Ash:** Who do they think these people are, treating me like that?!

**Leaf:** Hello yourself.

**Serena:** You know, I've been _really_ worried about Ash lately...

**Hilda:** Oh, nonsense! I'm sure he's just fine!

**Drew:** You desperately need to pull your act together.

**Unknown:** Hey there, everyone! Sorry I'm late for the show!

**Nate:** Well, here we are. Lumiose City.

**Chapter 19: ****When Every Life Meets Another**

* * *

**A/N:** Ooh, it looks like Reshiram got captured! But who among the trio of N, Anthea, and Concordia escaped?! That question shall soon be answered soon! :D

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

**edCOM02:** You got that right, man. :)

**GamerGirl597:** I'm glad you liked that part! Trust me, that's gonna be an important part later on in the story.

**thor94:** I don't know what you mean when you're asking if Calem or Ash used the blue aura, because it was obviously Calem who was using it...

**ChE clarinetist:**

**1)** Well, you'll see.

**2)** You got that right! :D

**3)** And here we have N's role in the story. Let's see how this progresses...

**xxxSMDxxx:** You'll learn more about Calem's past eventually, so don't worry. And yes, Ash IS going bat-crazy! :O

**Gyga (guest reviewer):** Well, since Movie 18 isn't out yet and I have no legit info on what's going to happen in that movie, I am not gonna implement those details into the story, at least not for the time being. Also, that girl is certainly not Hoopa, I'll tell you that.

**The Totem:** No, Xerneas was only the voice that was talking to Calem, not to anyone else. You'll learn the identity of the second speaker soon.

**Moderator:** *begins singing the song*

**Trublsmbob:**

**1)** I'm not that far into the story yet, so I think the reference was just a funny coincidence.

**2)** Maybe, maybe not.

**3)** Yes, that pattern you just described will hold true for the first half of Act II. Then, the two subplots will merge together by the second half.

**4)** Sorry I didn't respond to that question last time. Anyway, I'm planning on having Ash and Hilda break up sometime early on in Act III. You'll see why.

**Smoothi3:** Hope you enjoyed the in-your-face action! :D

**Banana (guest reviewer):**

**1)** Check out my profile. I have the entire layout of the story there.

**2)** No, Hilbert won't be jealous once Ash and Serena start going out, mostly because there won't be enough time in the story for that to happen by that point.

**bluewind32:** ... ... ...What?...

**Emily (guest reviewer):**

**1)** Thanks! :D And yes, "Phineas and Ferb" really is ending. Very tragic. Anyway, I'm still thinking of a good idea of that P&amp;F fic I mentioned.

**2)** Right, right, AND right! :D

**3)** Yes, well, Xerneas will have an important role in the story later on. You'll see what I'm talking about eventually.

Well, hope you enjoyed this overdue chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	21. When Every Life Meets Another

**A/N:** Here we are, everyone! The almighty return of this story, at last! Sorry it took so painfully long, but I've finally come out of my turtle shell to dish out this long-awaited chapter. It was 90% completed before I went on my hiatus anyway, so finishing it was mostly a piece of cake. ENJOY!

Anyway, I planned to post this chapter yesterday, but then, I lost my Internet and I had to wait for my tech-savvy dad to come home and fix it, so yeah. That said, a brief history lesson here for you all. August 6 was the anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, at the tail-end of World War II. My original plan before my Internet went to spit was to post this chapter on that date. I wanted to do so because it was quite fitting, considering my story's themes. Had I not gone on a hiatus with this story, I still would have posted a chapter on this date, as I have been updating the story every Thursday.

* * *

**The local prison  
****Sandgem Town**

Nate couldn't believe his luck. He was so close to getting information out of Glenn, Biff, and Lenny, only for all four of them to be arrested by Pokémon Rangers. Turns out, they were conducting an independent investigation into Julio Songer's couriers. However, he didn't know why the Ranger Union was claiming jurisdiction over the manhunt for Songer when it was better suited for a law enforcement organization such as the International Police, not a Pokémon protection agency.

Even better, he didn't know why the Rangers arrested him when everyone was fully aware of an alliance between the Rangers and the International Police.

_"Maybe they didn't get the memo?"_ he thought.

"Hey," a voice suddenly piped. "Hey, Mareep!"

Nate grunted angrily as he stared at Glenn, who was sitting in the cell next to his at the right. The man was staring back at him with a furious expression.

"For the last time, Glenn, I'm not a Mareep!" the student replied. "We're the good guys, I'm telling you!"

"Yeah?" Glenn said, his nostrils flared. "Tell that to your governments, who have unjustly staged events and murdered their own citizens to further their goals!"

"Yeah! Mareep!"

Nate looked towards the cell at his left. Sitting inside it were Biff and Lenny; the former looked just as infuriated as Glenn, while the latter was simply exhausted.

"You know what?!" exclaimed Nate. "I'm done trying to convince you guys. I don't know why I even bothered..."

"Because you're a brainwashed Mareep working for the New World Order agents, that's why!" Glenn snapped. "And to think, I _trusted_ you..."

"We can still trust each other, Glenn! In fact, trust is more needed more now than ever! Do you have ANY idea what's happening out there, as we're sitting here in our Arceus-damn jail cells?!" Nate grasped the iron bars separating his and Glenn's cells. "There's an organization capturing Legendary Pokémon and intending to use 'em to conquer the entire world! I kid you not, this is NOT something any of the world's governments is staging, I swear!"

Glenn frowned and scoffed bitterly. Realizing he would not be convinced, Nate sighed angrily and dropped down on the bed graciously provided to him by his cell.

"Why did I even _bother_?..." he whispered to himself.

"Nate?!" a familiar voice called, causing the student to sit up on his bed.

"Looker?!" he replied. "Looker! Looker, over here!"

To his relief, the senior International Police agent arrived at the door of Nate's cell. He was accompanied by a reluctant Kate, the Ranger who arrested Looker.

"Boy, am I glad to see you!" Nate exclaimed. Then, he noticed the serious expression on Looker's face. "Why? What happened?"

"All of Pinwheel Forest has been burnt down," the agent replied.

"Lemme guess," Glenn piped. "Burned down by the Unova government to cover up its secret chemical tests on Pokémon?"

Looker glared at the conspiracy theorist and replied, "No. Burned down by a criminal organization to cover up their capture of the Legendary Pokémon Reshiram."

Glenn rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right."

"Were there any people present in the area?!" Nate exclaimed, shocked to hear this latest news.

"No. Authorities found no traces of any human remains. However..." Looker shook his head gravely. "Over a thousand Pokémon living there were killed."

"Victims of the emerging New World Order, I'm telling ya!" Glenn roared.

"Hey, shut your mouth!" Kate snapped. "No one said you can talk!"

"I have my rights. I can't be forced to shut my mouth whenever someone feels it fit!"

"Glenn, just shut up!" snarled Nate. He then looked back at Looker. "You can fill me in later, but can you _please_ get me outta here?"

"We were just about to do that." Looker glanced at Kate. "Ranger Kate?"

"Yeah, yeah, got it..." the Pokémon Ranger replied bitterly as she procured a set of keys and used them to unlock Nate's cell. One could tell she was unhappy with the whole prospect of releasing Nate. As soon as the door was open, the male student dashed out of his cell, nearly bumping into Looker and Kate in the process.

"Whoa, whoa, easy there, Nate!" Looker exclaimed.

"Sorry," replied Nate. "It's just... I just realized being in a prison sucks."

Looker glanced at Glenn, Biff, and Lenny, who were all glaring bitterly at him.

"You got that right." He turned around and guided Nate away. "Come on, Nate, let's get outta here. We've got bad guys to take down."

As the two left, Nate heard Glenn yell out to him, **"MAREEP!"**

* * *

**Chapter 19: ****When Every Life Meets Another**

* * *

"I can't believe these criminals are willing to kill thousands of Pokémon, just to cover their tracks..."

Nate and Looker had just stepped out of the Sandgem Town prison, and both were now approaching the white van used by Looker. Nate was looking hatefully back at the prison, privately hoping that once the Dream Team got its hands on those criminals, they would be able to throw them in a prison like that one.

"The Syndicate," Looker piped.

"Pardon me?" asked Nate.

"We managed to intercept several communications between members. They're calling themselves the Syndicate."

"Really?" Nate raised an eyebrow as he opened the passenger door and boarded the van. "How'd you manage to intercept the communications?"

"Because the organization's existence is supposed to remain top-secret from the public, we decided to look at personal emails and see if any of them were suspicious. Indeed, we found a few intriguing conversations. During all of them, one name kept coming up: Syndicate. We assumed that's what they're calling themselves."

"Wait a minute." Nate blinked in shock. "You _looked_ at _personal emails_?"

"Yes, that's right."

"How many email accounts _did_ you look through?"

"That's not important right now." Looker stared at his young colleague seriously in the eye. "We've managed to find several Syndicate contacts."

"Wait a minute, you did?!" exclaimed the student, his mind diverted from the previous subject. "Where? Where, exactly?"

Looker's response was short and to the point. He and Nate had just buckled themselves to their seats, and the senior agent started the van's engine.

"Lumiose City."

* * *

**Route 13  
Directly outside Lumiose City, Kalos**

Ash did not stop walking until he reached the outskirts of Lumiose City. However, he didn't care where he was going, or if any of his friends were following him, trying to convince him that he was still a great Trainer. Maybe before he first arrived at Lumiose for the PWT, he would've agreed to their statements. But now...now that he was hearing the opinions of other people like Calem and Paul, Ash was starting to reconsider his opinion about his own strength and capabilities.

He had been a Trainer for seven years now, and within that period of time, he had seen and done things no other Trainer would have ever done. With his record, any other Trainer would kill to be in his place. If that was true, then why hadn't we won a single Pokémon League? Why was he always finding himself back at square one in the goal long held by him since his childhood? Why wasn't he a Pokémon Master? That was something he had been contemplating lately even before he returned to Lumiose City...in fact, even before he first arrived at Kalos with Alexa. It was certainly an intriguing question that boggled his mind now.

And now, now that he was hearing some actual insight from Calem, Ash felt that the Kalos Trainer did have a point in his argument. Every time he lost a League, he'd shrug off the loss without seriously reflecting on his mistakes and merely move on to another region, where he would simply repeat the whole process. But there was no other method he could imagine himself employing, right? But then again, he'd always lose the new regional League and then repeat the process all over again...

And then, there was the issue of him helping out any person who came across him and was in dire need. He never bothered to consider the possibility of any of these people having dark, or at least questionable, intentions that would be further bolstered by his assistance. No, he never thought of all the multiple scenarios, all of the ways these friends of his would take advantage of him. Just like what happened with Floyd... He _trusted_ him...

As soon as he thought about Floyd and the monstrous atrocities he helped commit, Ash felt a soft stinging sensation prickling at his stomach...

The wound inflicted by Adam's Delphox was almost healed, quicker than usually expected. The wound wasn't painful enough to prevent him from making any sudden, violent, or exaggerated movements. However, the sensation would often occur from time to time, proving to be a bit of an annoyance, like a fly that would fly around one's head and stubbornly refuse to go away. Though it was nothing too serious, Ash would always think about Floyd every time he felt it.

_"I trusted him..."_ he thought. Then, he angrily kicked at a tiny pebble, watching it as it skidded across the trail. _"I trusted that man! And the moment I did...he knew he had an opening for his plan... And now, because of my gullibility, many people and Pokémon were hurt... None of them deserved it. No one deserves that..."_

Then, Ash clenched his fists as he approached the same pebble, stopping before it.

_"And who knows how many other people took advantage of my help during my journeys? Did someone use a Pokémon I helped recover to rob a store?! Did someone use some item I helped retrieve to summon a powerful __Pokémon and capture it?! Did someone steal an ancient treasure and destroy a temple in the process, all just because I helped show this person the way to a certain destination?! Did I bring around the end of the world, just for helping a group of people retrieve a Berry?!"_

"What else have I done to help nefarious people commit unspeakable acts, hm?!" Ash shouted to the heavens. At this point, an infuriated, almost maniacal expression masked his once-youthful and energetic face. "How many villains duped me into helping them?! HUH?! Who do they think these people are, treating me like that?!"

Ash then kicked at the same pebble, putting more energy and force into his leg. He watched as the tiny piece of rock skipped across the hard, rough earth.

The pebble settled before a pair of occupied boots.

"They're all fools, that's who they are," a voice suddenly said.

Ash screamed in surprise and looked up, examining the person that had apparently been on the trail with him the entire time. His eyes widened as soon as he took in her physical features in all of their full glory. There was no mistaking who this person. He should have known she would approach him like this eventually.

"IT'S **YOU**!" he shouted furiously.

The girl blinked in surprise, then smirked and scoffed.

"Hello yourself," she replied.

"You're that girl from the PWT Pokémon Center, the one I keep seeing everywhere!" Ash pointed at the girl. "You've been following me around, haven't you?!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry." The girl opened her eyes and put on an innocent, apologetic expression that looked almost cute. "I didn't mean to scare you like that!"

Ash's eyes narrowed angrily. "Cut the act; it can't fool me!"

"Like it did last time?" the girl asked, her expression disappearing in an instant.

This time, Ash was the one who blinked in surprise. "You...You _know_-"

"I've been following you around for a while, Ash. I should know anything and everything about you by now." A strange twinkle appeared in her eye for a brief second. "However, the real question is, do _you_ know everything about yourself? Do you understand yourself, your feelings, your motivations...your _ideals_?" She began walking towards the raven-haired Trainer. "If you're at least capable of understanding yourself, then everything will be as clear as a crystal for you."

"Understand _myself_?" asked Ash. "What-What're you talking about?"

A smirk appeared on the girl's face. "It's plain and simple, Ash."

Ash blinked again. "Wait a minute, you know my-"

"Name?" the girl completed. She then chuckled. "You're so cute, Ash."

At this point, Ash realized that the girl was already standing right in front of him, leaning her face close to his. At first, he thought she was about to kiss him, just like Hilda would do. However, instead, she raised her hand, her curled index finger resting against her thumb, and flicked said index finger at Ash's forehead. He stumbled backward in surprise; though it was a soft hit, the move caught him off-guard regardless, and it did sting uncomfortably for a brief moment.

"Agh!" he exclaimed, scratching the place hit by the girl's finger. "What was that for?"

"It's what my mom would do whenever I did something foolish," replied the girl. Then, her expression became serious. "Ash, if you wanna find the answers to all your recent problems, then I suggest looking inside yourself. Look at the _heart_, and understand it. Then, maybe, just maybe, you'll find your answers."

"The heart?..."

Her voice became chipper again. "Yep! Well, gotta go! Don't wanna be late!"

She ran past Ash, and he could smell the fresh aroma of strawberries emanating from her hair. He turned around to watch her go.

"Wait a minute!" he called, prompting the mysterious girl to stop. "I know you've been following me, but I don't think we've officially met! What's your name?!"

The girl stopped running and turned around to look at Ash. A mischievous smile was on her face, giving her expression a bit of an adorable quality to it.

"Whatever happened to trusting people you barely know?" she asked.

"Well, I believe the first step to trust is knowing each other's names. And since you know mine already, apparently, then I think you should return the favor."

The girl's smile widened. "Okey-dokey, then!" She bent forward slightly, still facing Ash. "You can just call me Leaf!"

* * *

**Outside the PWT Battle Club  
**

"I'm worried... What if he doesn't come back?..."

"Oh, no need to worry, I don't think Ash would be _that_ upset over something like that. If anything, he'd just be inspired to train more seriously."

Serena, Hilbert, Clemont, Bonnie, Misty, Brock, May, Max, Dawn, Paul, Cilan, and Trip were all currently walking out of the PWT Battle Club, having just finished giving their thanks to Hugh for a well-fought battle. Tucked in Serena's arms was Pikachu, who looked just as concerned for his Pikapi as the Performer herself was.

"Are you sure about that, Dawn?" asked Serena, looking at the blue-haired Coordinator. "He looked _really_ upset about it..."

"That's just Ash for you, Serena," Dawn replied. "No matter how difficult it is, he'll always find a way to overcome an obstacle. He never gives up till the end."

The honey-haired girl's lips curved into a soft smile as soon as she was reminded of her favorite piece of advice. However, that smile turned into a frown minutes later as she suddenly remembered the expression on Ash's face before he left the building. It looked unbelievably furious, almost _maniacal_, as if he felt the entire Universe was conspiring against him and he finally had enough of it. There was no way her optimistic, encouraging, supportive crush, Ash Ketchum, would sink to such a level.

Noticing Serena's expression, Brock said, "Look, Serena, I know Ash's outburst was very out of character for him. But considering all he's been through, I think-"

"You think _what_, Brock?" interrupted Serena abruptly. "You think he's just going through some phase, that he'll grow out of it eventually? No, no way. The Ash I know has been through a lot of stuff, stuff very few others have been through. And he keeps coming out of them with a big smile on his face. No, something's wrong..."

"You know what I think?" Paul suddenly said, attracting everyone else's attention.

"Paul, please, not now," Dawn interjected, sensing what he was about to say. However, the purple-haired Trainer ignored her.

"I think he's been trying to shun reality for as long as it can, but it finally caught up with him."

Serena glared at Paul with narrowed eyes. "What're you talking about, Paul?" she replied. "There's no reality that Ash has to face-"

"Of course there is. He had to face the truth that his outlook of life is terribly flawed."

"I can't believe it." Serena gritted her teeth angrily. "You sound like Calem. Are you saying you _agree_ with him?!"

"Pika?!" added Pikachu, outraged at Paul's behavior.

"Unfortunately for you all, I do. I will be frank with you, what's-your-name, I admire Ketchum for his..._persistence_ in adhering to his personal beliefs. However...these ideals of his can only take a person so far in the world as a Trainer. His feelings of love and compassion towards everyone and everything won't benefit him in the long term. In the end, he will either be betrayed by someone he strove to help, or be defeated by someone who employs more efficient methods."

"I can't believe this," May snarled. "You would _say_ that about Ash?! I thought you were his friend!"

Paul scoffed and gave the Top Coordinator a cold stare. "I do not know about him, but I like to think of our relationship as of one between two people who respectfully agreed to respectfully disagree with each other." He closed his eyes. "There is no way the two of us will be actual friends. Not that I find luxury in having friends."

"You're wrong!" Bonnie snapped. "Friends stick with one another to the very end, just like family! We support each other and care for each other! When one of us falls down to the ground, then another one of us would stay behind and pick up the first friend! We don't leave _anyone_ behind!"

"Dedenne!" added a furious Dedenne.

"Oh, really?" The purple-haired Trainer scoffed again. "Well then, considering Ketchum's current emotional state, would he like us talking about him behind his back?"

"Only because we're concerned about him, Paul," replied Brock seriously. "We're not exchanging lies about him or anything like that."

"I guess you got me there, _Doctor_." Paul looked at the aspiring Pokémon Doctor. "But tell me, would you _really_ help Ketchum, even if it meant risking your life?"

"What're you talking about, Paul? Of course I would-"

"But don't you have a family?"

Brock blinked in surprise (if one could see it with the naked eye, of course) before replying, "Don't you _dare_ bring my family into this!"

However, Paul smirked slightly, knowing he got his answer. "But would you die for Ketchum for his sake? Or are you not willing to leave your family behind so early?"

Brock opened his mouth again to respond, but he realized he had been put in a tight spot by Paul. Of course, he cared for Ash; he was like a brother to him! But...he also care deeply for his parents and siblings. He promised his brothers and sisters, all nine of them, that he'd always be there to take care of them and protect them. If he died trying to help out Ash in some sort of dangerous predicament, then what good would that promise have served? And yet, Ash was his best friend; he could never find it in him to just betray him like that. The Pokémon Doctor tried speaking again, but couldn't find the right words to say.

"Thought so," Paul continued, realizing he had Brock in a corner. He then glared at the rest of the group. "Anyone else wanna object?"

"I do!" Bonnie shouted. "I object! Ash is family to me! He's like a second big brother! If I'm gonna get hurt helping him out, then that's fine with me!"

"Dedenne!" Dedenne added encouragingly.

"But Bonnie!" exclaimed Clemont in surprise. "You're still so _young_! Please think before you say your words-"

"This IS what I have to say, Clemont!" The little girl looked up at the inventor, frowning angrily. "And if Ash really IS your friend, then you'd agree with me! Right?!"

"I-I...I..." Clemont gulped and continued, "Bonnie, Ash _is_ my friend. But if we get hurt really badly while helping Ash, then what would Dad think of it?"

"I don't know, but people always get better after they get hurt. Isn't that right?"

Clemont stared pitifully at his younger sister. It was very obvious she still had no idea what her friends were talking about when they were mentioning death. Not that it was surprising, to say the least, as she was still young and innocent. However, such an outlook of life wasn't helping her in her argument...

_"Her way of thinking is just like Ash's..."_ the inventor concluded in his mind.

"Well, I don't know about you, Clemont," May said suddenly, "but I agree with Bonnie!"

"You do?" Bonnie looked up at her idol, eyes shimmering with awe. "Thank you, May! You're always so cool!"

"You're welcome, Bonnie." The Top Coordinator then stared angrily at Paul, whose stoic expression changed ever so slightly. "As for _you_, you'd better watch your next words, mister, because if you say anything bad to her, then you're gonna have to hear from me and my Blaziken! Got that?"

Paul continued to look at May coldly. Then, he looked at the others and noticed that all their expressions were hostile towards him, with the exception of the confused Brock and the emotionless Trip, who seemed to be observing the entire conversation with a slight interest. Finally, he scoffed and turned his back on them.

"Well," he said, "if all of you insist on continuing to blindly follow Ketchum and support his flawed ideals, be my guest. Challenging them is not on my to-do list, unlike Calem's, apparently. If your devotion and compassion towards him proves to be your very undoing, don't come crawling to me and begging for forgiveness..." He then looked over his shoulder to look at the rest of the group. "But if you know what's good for you, any of you, then I would at least question Ash's outlook of life."

The purple-haired Trainer began walking away from the rest of the group as they watched him go. Once Paul was out of sight, Cilan looked at Trip.

"Trip," he said, "you've been hanging around Paul lately, and you seem to have the same outlook of life as he does. But please tell me you don't agree with him..."

"To be frank with you," the Unova Trainer replied, "I don't know what to think." He then closed his eyes. "And honestly, I do not even _wanna_ think about it. Last time I heard, we were all here to participate in a prestigious tournament that got conveniently delayed. We didn't come here to attack each other's ideals and motivations."

Everyone looked at one another, registering for the first time the tense, awkward atmosphere that was hanging in the air.

"Trip's right," piped Misty. "We can't let Calem and Paul's words get to all of us. It's just tearing all of us apart, just like what it's doing to Ash. We gotta focus on what we really came here for, and that's the Pokémon World Tournament. Let's not let anything else interfere with a good ole challenge."

* * *

**Hilda White and Hilbert Black's Summer Getaway Mansion  
****The Seventh District  
Approximately an hour later**

After bidding their farewells to Trip, who left for his hotel with nothing more than an offhanded wave, the rest of the group returned to the mansion. There, they were greeted by Melody, Macy, Anabel, and Angie. All four were quick to notice Ash's conspicuous absence and they all asked where he was. Not wanting to go through the entire situation with Ash's outburst and Paul's agreement with Calem's sentiments, Serena told them Ash was doing some private training, a lie supported by the rest of the group. However, she could tell none of the girls were convinced by this claim, even though they remained silent about it and didn't object.

Once they resettled into the mansion, the members of the group barely interacted with one another for the next approximate hour. Their very few conversations were brief and somewhat awkward, although May and Bonnie still maintained their close friendship, much to the annoyance of their brothers. The mansion had never been so silent before, and Serena could tell the only thing that could tie everyone back together and rekindle the joyous friendship they had was Ash himself.

And she knew how far-fetched that was right now. Even Pikachu, who still retained the idolization of his Trainer, couldn't do anything to take Ash's place in bringing the group back together.

Right now, the Pokémon Performer was sitting on her bed, deep in her thoughts. She had taken off her fedora, and it was now lying on the table next to her bed. She hoped that Ash was currently doing all right, emotionally speaking, because she could tell how extremely distressed he was the moment Hugh criticized his mentoring strategy. She too would feel very agitated if someone criticized everything she stood for... In fact, she _knew_ how it felt. Serena sighed in relief after comforting herself with the fact that Adam and his cronies were safely locked away in a prison cell somewhere else in Lumiose City, to never see the outside world ever again.

_"Ash..."_ she thought, placing a hand over the blue ribbon her crush gave her back at Coumarine City. _"I'm sorry you're feeling this way. I really am. And I certainly do not think Calem is right. I don't know why he said those awful things to you, but you can't let his words affect you. Oh, if only you're here to hear me out..."_

"Serena? You okay?"

Serena looked up and saw Hilbert standing at the doorway. He was looking at her with an expression of concern. She sighed and smiled at her new boyfriend softly.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Hilbert," she replied.

"Are you sure?" The BW Agency president stepped inside the bedroom. "You sure look like you're thinking about a serious subject. Is it-?"

"Yeah, it is," Serena interrupted before Hilbert could even finish his sentence. "It's Ash."

Hilbert pursed his lips upon hearing Ash's name. Then, with a sigh, he sat down beside Serena and pulled her into a hug, resting his chin upon the top of her head. At first, Serena was surprised by this sudden move, but then, she quickly relaxed into his embrace and nuzzled her head against his chest.

"Don't worry about him, Serena," he said. "Knowing Ash, he'll just take that criticism around and use it as a basis for improvements. Remember what Dawn said."

"Yes, that's right... But that's not the only thing I'm worried about. I mean, he was your best mentor, and you lost your first battle-"

The president laughed briefly. "Oh, don't worry about it, Serena. It was my first battle. I was too caught up in myself to take it that seriously."

"But I'm betting he thinks all of the blame for your loss lies on him and him alone. You heard that Hugh guy. That kind of criticism definitely hurt Ash."

Hilbert sighed heavily. "Can't say I'm surprised. He's been going through a lot for these past few weeks. I can see that."

"You've got that right, Hilbert."

Hilbert blinked, unconvinced by her response. "But something's still bugging you, isn't it? Something about Ash."

Serena's eyes narrowed as she concluded Hilbert was right. She had always felt some strange aura enveloping Ash, though she couldn't decipher it. All she knew was that this odd feeling began during her trek with Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie back to Lumiose City for the PWT...specifically at the Pokémon Center along Route 13...

_**"Ash? Hello, Ash? Earth to Ash!"**_

_**"What're you staring at?"**_

_**"That girl over there."**_

_**"What girl? I don't see any girl there."**_

_**"What?!"**_

_**"Ash, are you okay?"**_

_**"Yeah, yeah I'm okay. I'm fine, really. I just thought I saw someone familiar, that's all. But it looks like I was wrong."**_

_**"Okay..."**_

Serena broke away from Hilbert's embrace.

"You know," she replied, "I've been _really_ worried about Ash lately..."

"Yeah, I noticed."

She shook her head. "No, that worrisome feeling has been going on long before we met Calem. I could tell something else was troubling Ash."

Hilbert raised an eyebrow. "Something else?" he repeated. "What do you mean, Serena?"

"Well, Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, and I were on our way to Lumiose City so we could participate in the PWT. Ash won his fourth Badge, I participated in my first Pokémon Showcase, and Clemont was searching for a way to prepare for his upcoming Gym battle with Ash. The four of us stopped by at a Pokémon Center alongside Route 13 for the night, and everything was going fine, just like any other ordinary day. Training, having fun, Team Rocket's scheme of the day...

"Then the next morning, we were ready to leave the Pokémon Center. That was when Ash spaced out for a moment. I thought it was weird, so I snapped him out of it and asked him what was wrong. He said he saw a girl, but no one seemed to stand out to me. Then, he started denying ever seeing any girl, saying it must've been a mistake. But earlier, he was so convinced he saw some peculiar-looking girl. I found it strange, but I shrugged it off as a mistake on Ash's part.

"After all, everyone makes mistakes, right?"

"And I'm assuming this turned out to not be a mistake..." Hilbert replied.

Serena nodded. "Every now and then, I keep looking at Ash, and he's spacing out again, like he's seeing someone...or _something_. But I never see anyone there. I can only assume he's thinking about a strategy to use in the PWT, but then again, that's not his usual way of thinking up strategies."

"What do you think is always catching his attention like that?"

"I'm honestly not sure." Serena looked down at her lap. "But whatever it is, it's gotta be important if it keeps catching his attention like that."

Hilbert blinked, surprised at such a response. Then, he said, "Well...that's..._intriguing_, I guess."

"More like worrisome."

The president smiled softly before placing his finger underneath Serena's chin, redirecting her gaze towards his face.

"Hey," he replied. "Knowing Ash, there's no problem he cannot overcome. I've seen it with my very eyes. If he's willing to risk his life just to save his friends from an extremely dangerous situation, then there's absolutely nothing he cannot do. I have faith in Ash; whatever's bothering him, whatever problem he faces, he will find a solution to it. You just gotta have faith in him, just like I do." His smile widened slightly. "But I know you already have faith in him."

An awestruck Serena stared into Hilbert's brown eyes, radiating with so much confidence. Realizing he was right, the Performer smiled back at him.

"You're right, Hilbert," she said. "I just gotta have faith in him. That's right."

Hilbert's smile widened even further, and then, he began kissing Serena on the lips, deeply and passionately. She reciprocated the kiss almost instantly, although she began feeling her heart essentially drop to the bottom of her stomach. Though this kiss was as emotionally driven as their first one, the spark that she felt during that unexpected time was no longer there. It was as if she was returning the kiss only because she just _had_ to, not also because she had some feelings for Hilbert.

"Awwwww, so CUTE!" a voice squealed suddenly.

Serena and Hilbert broke away in a split-second, their faces blushing brightly with embarrassment. Standing at the doorway of the room was Hilda, who was grinning widely from ear to ear. Serena noticed the female BW Agency president's hands were concealed behind her, as if she was holding something.

"It's like you two were _made_ for each other!" Hilda continued.

"H-Hil-_Hilda_!" snapped Hilbert in frustration. "Haven't you ever heard of _knocking_?! Or maybe perhaps _respecting one's privacy_?!"

"Sorry. I was just passing by and I saw that tender little moment." Hilda chuckled briefly before continuing, "By the way, did Ash come back with you guys?"

"No," Serena replied. "He had...something else to do at the moment."

"Oh, okay. So, have any idea when he's gonna get back?"

"We're not sure. He said he'll be back, though."

"Oh." The female president's face softened as she revealed a bouquet of white flowers, looking down upon it. "That's a shame."

Serena's face became even more florid as she asked nervously, "Were you...Were you _planning_ on giving Ash those?..."

"Hm?" Hilda looked up and smiled excitedly. "Oh yes, of course! I was on my way back here when I saw the flower shop and I thought I should buy a bouquet for my Ashy. These flowers really caught my attention..." She began smelling them, her smile widening with each sniff. "They reminded me of how _pure_ he is, how he always seems to be like a little kid, though in a good way, of course!" The president giggled. "So, I bought this bouquet in an instant."

"It's nice, I guess..." replied Hilbert.

"Of course, moron! They're flowers, they _have_ be nice!" Hilda then looked up at Serena. "What do you think, Serena? Do you think Ashy would love these flowers?"

Serena struggled to remain calm as she replied, "Yeah, I guess..."

Hilbert looked at Serena, taking quick notice of her wavering calmness. Realizing things could become tense, he decided to change the subject quickly.

"Anyway, Hilda," he said, "mind if I ask you a question about Ash?"

"Shoot," the brown-haired girl replied. "It's not like the details of our relationship should be kept top-secret."

"Okay. Um...has Ash seemed..._off_ to you?"

Hilda arched her right eyebrow. "Eh?..."

"I mean, did he seem strange to you? Like, unusually distant or anything? Preoccupied by something else, perhaps?"

She blinked, then replied, "Yeah... He was always like that during our dates. It was hard to snap him out of it. Probably my only complaint about him. But, considering the current status of PWT's future at the time, plus the treatment he's been getting for that stomach wound of his, I thought it was understandable. Why?"

"Nothing. We just noticed how distant he was too, and we didn't know why." Hilbert looked at Serena. "We thought he might've been having..._problems_-"

"Oh, nonsense!" interrupted Hilda as she made a dismissive gesture. "I'm sure he's just fine! Like I said, there's just a lot of things on his mind. I accept that."

"If you insist."

Hilda's eyes narrowed. "And you think there's a problem with Ash?..."

"No, no, not at all! We just thought it was odd for him to be this distant, that's all!"

The female president stared at her partner coldly for several more seconds. Finally, she pursed her lips and tucked the bouquet of white flowers tightly in her arms.

"Okay," she said. "Well then, I gotta get going. If Ash isn't gonna be here for a while, then I must think of a good way to surprise him. See ya!"

Hilda skipped energetically out of the bathroom, humming a happy tune to herself. Once she was out of earshot, Serena looked at Hilbert.

"Why'd you ask her about Ash being distant, Hilbert?" she asked.

"Well, it's just...it's just that wanted to know..." he replied in a hollow tone, looking away. "That's all."

However, Serena knew as soon as she registered the tone of his voice. He too no longer felt the spark between them during that kiss. Otherwise, there was no reason for the boy to want to know if Ash was exhibiting strange behavior around Hilda, his longtime crush. All the more to remember the true context of their relationship...

* * *

**The battlefield  
****Eastern Lumiose City**

Ash sat on the audience stands overlooking the battlefield, watching as two other Trainers used it to battle each other. He sighed heavily as he noticed the tactics that were being employed by both Trainers as they pushed onward on the battle, determined to achieve victory. With a sharp exhale, the raven-haired Trainer then looked down at his lap solemnly, remembering Hilbert's first battle. He knew he should've taught Hilbert that there was always a chance that he'd lose...and yet, he didn't.

Now, Hilbert suffered a devastating loss in his first battle, even after Ash and all of his friends expressed their encouragement to him. And, to make the matter worse, Hilbert had to receive the harshest of criticism from his first challenger. The criticism reminded Ash of his rivalry with Paul, of his newly-bred conflict with Calem. Only Arceus knows how he was holding up with what he just learned about himself. For all Ash knew, Hilbert was probably cursing Ash for being too soft on him...

Not that Ash would blame him for doing so.

_**"****Ash, if you wanna find the answers to all your recent problems, then I suggest looking inside yourself."**_

_"Look inside myself?"_ he thought. _"Look inside_ myself_?... What'd Leaf mean by _that_? How does she expect me to understand that? And... And what makes her think I can be able to _trust_ her? Ugh! Why is everything so hard to understand?! Why can't these things just be easy, pure and simple?!"_

"Hey, Ash!" a familiar voice called, interrupting the Trainer's musings. "Ash, it's so good to see you!"

Ash could only look up glumly and watch as two more Trainers walked up to them. He quickly recognized them as Lyra and Khoury, although he did not greet them in his usual optimistic way. Instead, he sighed sadly and glanced back at the battlefield, watching the two Trainers continue their heated battle.

Lyra arched an eyebrow, noticing Ash's depressed demeanor. "Ash?" she asked. "Aren't you gonna say hi to us?"

Ash didn't respond. Lyra and Khoury looked at one another before sitting beside their friend from their Sinnoh adventure.

"Ash?" Khoury asked cautiously. "Is...Is everything okay?..."

Ash sighed again and replied in a low voice, "Yeah. Everything's fine. Everything's all fine."

"Are you sure?" Lyra replied. "Everything doesn't sound fine to me."

The raven-haired Trainer stood up and began walking away, his hands tucked in his pockets.

"Ash!" Khoury called. "Ash, hold on! Hold on a moment! We were just asking if you were alright!"

"I know..." Ash replied glumly as he continued walking away.

"ASH!"

However, he ignored Khoury's call and eventually took the pathway into the bordering rows of trees leading back to the main city, going out of sight. Lyra and Khoury could only watch with puzzled expressions as they watched their once-good friend disappear, wondering what happened to him that could make him act that way.

They didn't notice that one of the Trainers on the battlefield had been watching Ash make his leave as well. He flicked his green hair while his Roserade watched on.

* * *

**Magenta Plaza  
Lumiose City  
****Almost an hour later**

Ash's aimless wandering eventually brought him to Magenta Plaza, the very plaza he first stepped into when he arrived at Lumiose City to participate in the PWT. The raven-haired Trainer could vaguely remember how optimistic he once was, how excited he was to enter into such a prestigious battling tournament. In hindsight, Ash knew there was no possible way his past self would have anticipated more than just the enticing challenge of the PWT waiting for him at Lumiose.

He stopped by the plaza's central fountain and looked at it, watching as the water spouted from the concrete structure and into the pool. All around him, civilians and tourists were milling around, admiring the fountain as well or otherwise stopping by at the stores and stands situated around the plaza. The atmosphere was tranquil.

"What am I supposed to do, huh?" Ash asked aloud, to no one in particular. The cacophony of noises drowned out his voice, so no one could hear him if they were not focused on him well enough. "What can I do to understand myself? That's so cryptic! Cryptic as...as heck! I just want to become a Pokémon Master! That's all I ask!"

"Do you know how to become a Pokémon Master?"

Eyes widening in surprise, Ash twirled around, expecting to see Lyra and Khoury standing behind him. Instead, he found a green-haired teenage boy, slightly younger than him, standing there. Upon registering the Roserade standing loyally beside this teenager, Ash identified him as one of the Trainers at the battlefield from earlier.

"Excuse me?" Ash asked.

"I said," replied the boy, "do you know how to become a Pokémon Master?"

The raven-haired boy's eyes narrowed. "Great. How many strangers know me even if I haven't met them before?!"

The green-haired boy smirked and flicked his hair. "Oh, how amusing, Ash. Very, very amusing."

"Really. I don't know who you are."

The boy's smirk vanished, and his eyes narrowed bitterly. He looked particularly offended.

"Really?" he replied. "You forgot who I am?"

Ash's tone was sarcastic. "I've met a lot of people, a lot of whom I haven't seen in years, so please forgive me if I lost you in my memories."

"It's me. Drew."

Ash's eyes widened. "Drew? As in, May's rival _Drew_?!"

"Yep, in the flesh..." Drew crossed his arms as a frown of disappointment appeared on his face. "Honestly, me flicking my hair should've been all that I needed to give my identity away. I'm really surprised you forgot all about me, someone who was influential in the life of one of your closest friends." He sighed and closed his eyes. "For Arceus's sake, you even forgot what I looked like."

"I haven't seen you in three years-" began Ash.

"And even after all that time, I still remembered you, from head to toe." The Coordinator shrugged. "But whatever. I'm not gonna waste my time on trivial stuff."

"Then what _are_ you here for?" Ash's auburn eyes then narrowed. "Are you gonna attack my personal beliefs as well? Because you can _forget_ about it!"

Drew blinked thrice. "I have no knowledge about anything involving your personal beliefs being attacked, so no. I just happened to notice you observing my battle at that battlefield. I could tell something was off with you. First of all, no Pikachu. Second of all, no other friends to accompany you. Third of all, total lack of optimism."

"Yeah." Ash looked away sadly. "I've been going through a lot lately."

"So I've heard." Drew directed his gaze to Ash's stomach. "How are you holding up?"

"What does it look like?"

"Oh, forgive me for asking the obvious." His eyes narrowed. "How's May doing?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Ash then looked back at the green-haired Coordinator. "What, so you're gonna attack May through me?"

"And what makes you think I'd do that?"

"Last I heard, you're not the one who became a Top Coordinator, turned into a superstar, and joined an elite organization of Top Coordinators."

Drew laughed hollowly. "Yeah, now that you mention it, I guess you can say I'm attacking May through you."

"Then you can forget about it-"

"But _I_ can say I'm expressing my concern for May's emotional well-being."

"What're you talking about?" Ash asked suspiciously.

"Really? Have you ever noticed a complete change in her personality?"

"Why should I? It's pretty obvious she's proud and happy of achieving her dream of becoming a Top Coordinator-"

"Yeah," interrupted Drew. "A little _too_ proud and happy."

Ash immediately knew where the conversation was headed. "I'm not gonna listen to what you have to say about May. I've seriously, _seriously_ had enough of people attacking each other's beliefs like that! It's so sickening! I don't understand why people don't want others to be happy!"

"But can't you see what her title has done to her ego?"

"All I saw is someone who achieved her dream after overcoming all odds." Ash took a step backward from Drew, a nasty expression suddenly appearing on his face, so foreign of an expression that Drew grimaced at it. "And all I'm seeing right now is someone who's green with jealousy, both literally and figuratively."

Drew blinked, then flicked his green hair. "Oh, ha ha ha, I'm _totally_ dying of laughter."

Ash's frown became even more pronounced. "You know, I just realized something."

"What? That May's become arrogant and stuck up?"

"No. That you _really_ need to get a haircut."

"What in the world is with people telling me to get a haircut nowadays?!"

Ash sighed and began to walk away, his hands in his pockets. "I don't have time to talk about this, Drew. I've got bigger problems to worry about than your so-called concern for May, which by the way is totally unjustified."

"There's always a justification if your rival's concerned for you." Drew crossed his arms. "And besides, are you _really_ placing your personal obsession with becoming a Pokémon Master _above_ the emotional well-being of one of your closest friends, who cares so much about you?"

The raven-haired Trainer stopped walking and looked back at the Coordinator.

"Yes," he said hesitantly. "About that...what'd you mean when you asked me, 'Do you know how to become a Pokémon Master'?"

"To be honest, that was mostly to get your attention. But if you insist on learning what I'd truly say as an answer-"

However, Ash, dissatisfied by the response, turned away from Drew.

"Yeah, I don't think so."

Drew blinked, dumbfounded by the sudden change in attitude. "Wait a minute, what?"

"If you say that just to catch my attention, then I doubt you're taking the whole thing seriously." He then scoffed as some sort of realization seemed to hit him. "And you're a Coordinator, not a Trainer. Why in the world did I expect you, of all people, to have any knowledge on how to become a Pokémon Master?"

The green-haired boy growled angrily, "Wait, what'd you say to me? What did you say to me?!" When Ash began walking away, he continued, "Wow, Ash, to think you would say something like that to me. Insulting me, that's totally not like you at all! Whatever happened to the guy I met four years ago?"

"A lot of stuff happened to me," replied a desensitized Ash. "That's what."

The boy's eyes narrowed angrily as he whispered, almost to himself, "You desperately need to pull your act together."

Drew and Roserade watched on as Ash eventually disappeared into the thick crowd. As soon as he did, the green-haired Coordinator felt an almost desperate need to go after him and tell him to put May back in her place for her own sake. After all, May would no doubt listen to Ash and what he had to say. However, it was obvious the raven-haired Trainer wasn't keen on listening to him anymore. And besides, after what Ash said to him, Drew didn't care anymore.

_"I guess May isn't the only one who's changed during these past three years,"_ he thought bitterly. He then scoffed. _"...So...I'm a Coordinator and not a Trainer, huh?"_

* * *

**Lysandre Café**

Unbeknownst to either Ash or Drew, there was a strange movement at the nearby Lysandre Café, which was currently closed, purportedly for repairs. A china cabinet was conspicuously closing in on the wall, its halves sliding themselves shut with a soft thud. The security cameras overhead no longer seemed to be activated, lacking the blinking crimson light that indicated their functioning.

Princess Diane walked past the rows of tables, a set of keys and an ID card clutched in her hand. She still felt guilty about stealing from Celosia; she hated to stoop down to the level of thieves like the ones who tried to take her months ago. However, she was extremely bored by her current existence and desired to venture out into the world on her own. She knew she didn't have to worry about being taken by Syndicate agents, for she was disguised as a human, and even then, she felt safe with Ash, Pikachu, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie being present in Lumiose City. They would definitely protect her if Team Flare couldn't.

The disguised princess stopped and glanced back at the china cabinet. She could easily visualize her loyal servants and Celosia, still sleeping soundly after a long day.

_"My apologies, everyone,"_ she thought. _"But such a lifestyle is grossly underwhelming for a princess such as myself. Please do not worry."_

She then turned to the coat rack, where she found a large, fluffy, creamy-white jacket and a similarly colored beret hanging from its hooks.

* * *

**Autumnal Avenue**

"I take it we're done shopping, at long last?"

"Of course, silly! Thank you guys for being gentlemen and helping the lady out!"

Clemont, Cilan, and Max sighed in relief as they followed Hilda, Misty, May, Dawn, Bonnie, Melody, Macy, Anabel, and Angie back to the limousine. The three of them, along with Brock, were all 'convinced' by the group of girls to accompany them on a shopping spree and help them in purchasing all of the materials necessary for the surprise party Hilda thought up for Ash. Of course, they wanted to help their closest friend in his darkest hour. However, they were hoping it wouldn't involved all of them bearing the weight brought by the full bags they were ordered to carry. Never before had they felt so exhausted on a shopping trip...

To make matters even worse, the group was joined midway into the shopping trip by Zoey and Lisia, who decided to tag along. As a result, their presence added even further pressure on the boys, who were forced to carry their own bags, built up during their quest for perfect clothes to wear for the PWT Pokémon Contests.

"And to think," Max muttered quietly, looking at Cilan, "I thought we'd be through with shopping trips once the PWT came upon us! All the more reason to hate those stupid goons who tried to kidnap Hilbert and Hilda, postponing the PWT like that." He then looked back at the girls. "And I really wish they knew when to stop."

"Girls and shopping," replied the Pokémon Connoisseur. "Certainly not the best combination of recipes..."

"Hey, we heard that!" Zoey called, causing Cilan's skin to pale considerably. She then glanced at her female companions. "Jeez, boys. They never learn to take on the responsibility of the workload. Instead, they just wussy out." She rolled her eyes. "Unbelievable, just totally unbelievable."

"I know, huh?!" exclaimed Bonnie. "Especially Clemont, he's never up for much of anything!"

"Dedenne!" squeaked Dedenne in agreement.

"B-Bo-_Bonnie_!" Clemont shouted, blushing in embarrassment. "Of course I'm up for anything! But only when I put my mind to it-"

"Yeah, and the only thing you can put your mind to are your stupid inventions! You're never up for anything else!"

"Bonnie's right, Clemont," added May. "You _really_ need to learn to get your head out of machines and technology and immerse yourself in the finer joys of life!"

"Like shopping!" Dawn exclaimed encouragingly.

"And romance!" Lisia added, swooning slightly.

"I'll only learn to enjoy shopping and romance when Arceus is about to doom the world," Clemont replied in a grim, sarcastic tone. All the while, he was staring at May hatefully; he really disliked how she seemed to provide Bonnie her support every single time. It was as if she was viewing Bonnie as the little sister she never had...

At the corner of his eye, Clemont noticed Max wearing a similar expression...

Meanwhile, Cilan examined the girls' faces and realized they were all looking at an unknowing Clemont menacingly, most likely because of his refusal to accept the act of shopping as something enjoyable. As if it was supposed to be. Hoping to spare his new friend from the ensuing storm of unrelenting hatred, the Pokémon Connoisseur decided to change the topic. It was at that point he realized something, which he had previously considered somewhat trivial.

"Hey, you know what I noticed?" he asked.

"What, Cilan?" replied Dawn.

"Everyone who's traveled with Ash throughout at least one region is here except for one person."

"Oh, someone else traveled with Ash?" Misty asked, her interest piqued.

"Oh yeah, that's true," Dawn said, placing a finger on her chin as she caught on to the person Cilan was referring to. "I honestly thought she'd be here as well, but after all this time, she hadn't shown her face at all-"

"Whose face?" interrupted May. "Who're we talking about?"

"Yeah, that's right, you've never met her before!" Cilan exclaimed, his index finger raised in the air thoughtfully. "We're talking about-"

"Hey there, everyone!" a familiar voice suddenly interrupted. "Sorry I'm late for the show!"

"Axew, Axew!" chirped a second familiar voice.

Cilan and Dawn's lips curved into smiles.

"Well, well, speak of the devil..." they replied simultaneously.

The others watched as a dark-skinned girl with brown eyes ran up to them, waving energetically. They immediately noted the unusually, almost ridiculously large purple hair that flowed down her back in a ponytail. They then noticed her old-fashioned, traditional clothing, as well as the Axew poking its head out of her hair, which was apparently also thick enough to serve as its temporary living quarters. Cilan and Dawn's smiles widened as they waved back at the girl.

As for Max, he blinked twice in shock and whispered, "Whoa, seriously, what's up with her hair?..."

"Iris!" Cilan and Dawn cried at once.

"Cilan, Dawn!" Iris replied as she approached her two friends. "It's so good to see you two again!"

"It's good to see you too, Iris," said Cilan. "My, my, now the cookbook is complete."

Iris sweat-dropped at the Pokémon Connoisseur's remark. "Yep, you haven't changed one bit, haven't you, Cilan?"

"Axew," added a blissfully unaware Axew.

"Trust me," Dawn said, "it's as if the past year hadn't gone by at all."

Iris chuckled briefly before noticing the others in Cilan and Dawn's group. She immediately flashed a bright smile at them.

"So, who are these people? More participants in the PWT?"

"Yeah," Cilan replied. "These are all Ash's friends." He pointed to each member in turn. "This is Max, his older sister May, Clemont, his younger sister Bonnie, Angie, Misty, Anabel, Dawn's rival Zoey, Melody, Lisia, and Macy. Guys, this is Iris. She traveled with me and Ash in the Unova region. I think I mentioned her a couple of times."

"Hi, Iris!" Bonnie exclaimed, approaching the aspiring Dragon Master with a wide, toothy smile. "My name's Bonnie, but you knew that already. Oh, and this here is Dedenne!" She gestured to the Antenna Pokémon sitting snugly in her satchel. "He's my Pokémon!"

"Dedenne!" chirped Dedenne. Then, it took notice of Iris's Axew and beamed at him. "Dede-Dedenne!"

"Ax-Axew!" Axew responded, smiling happily.

"It's nice to meet you, Bonnie!" replied Iris, returning Bonnie's smile before looking at the rest of the group. "It's nice to meet all of you too!"

"Likewise," Misty said, smiling at the Unova native's attitude.

"So, Ash has traveled with all of you guys?"

"Well, most of us," May replied.

"Huh." Iris placed her hands on her hips. "Ash sure knows where to find good friends."

"Ax-Axew!" chirped Axew in agreement.

Cilan smiled, relieved that he managed to turn the atmosphere positive again. Then, he noticed Hilda, who was heavily preoccupied with double-checking the purchased items. In fact, she barely even noticed the newest arrival of another of Ash's friends.

"Oh yeah, Iris," he said, catching his friend's attention. "I forgot, that girl over there is-"

"I know, it's Hilda White," Iris interrupted. Then, to everyone's surprise, she added, "I met her already."

"YOU DID?!" everyone but Hilda exclaimed.

"Yeah. I met her and Hilbert a couple years before I met Ash and Cilan. They actually went to the Village of Dragons to sponsor a decennial event and, as one of the participants, I spent the day with them and we struck a little friendship that's gone on since then. This is actually our first time seeing each other in person since that event, since Hilda wanted me to take care of some, ahem, PWT-related matters." She then glanced at the distracted, oblivious Hilda. "Isn't that right, Hilda?"

"Huh? What?" At that moment, Hilda looked up from her shopping list and noticed Iris for the first time. Her lips curved into a slight but friendly smile. "Oh, hey Iris!"

"Well, hi to you too, Hilda. Fancy seeing you here. What're you doing, shopping around in public? I thought you'd beef up security after that whole plot to kidnap you and Hilbert."

"Well, I'm not gonna let people like Adam and his cronies get in the way of my personal fun. Besides, I gotta buy stuff for my boyfriend. His mood is in the gutter at the moment and it is my duty as his girlfriend cheer him up!"

Iris blinked in surprise. "Wait a minute, you have a _boyfriend_?" Then, she smiled slyly. "Oh, lemme guess, it's Hilbert? I've always thought the two of you looked cute tog-"

"Oh, it's not Hilbert, no way. But he's way cuter than Hilbert, I gotta tell ya."

"Ahhhhh..." The aspiring Dragon Master's interest was instantly piqued. "Who is it?"

"It's Ash," the other girls, sans the ever-so-oblivious Bonnie, replied bitterly.

An awkward silence suddenly filled the air. Upon hearing that response, Iris blinked rapidly, unable to comprehend what she had just heard. Axew looked at his good friend and Trainer, wondering why she had abruptly gone silent. At first, it seemed as if she would never speak again. Then, she surprised everyone, even Axew, with her loud bout of laughter. She had been so caught up in her satisfaction that she even collapsed to the ground and hit her fist repeatedly on the cobblestone sidewalk.

"Very funny!" she exclaimed between laughs. "Very FUNNY! No way Ash Ketchum would ever get a _girlfriend_! He's too much of a KID for that! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

However, Dawn frowned and replied seriously, "It's not a joke, Iris. Ash really _is_ Hilda's boyfriend."

"Oh, yeah right, as IF!" Iris continued laughing as she stood up. "There's no way!"

"Nope, that's, uh, actually true, Iris," said Hilda.

Unfortunately for the others, Iris continued laughing for a moment longer, unconvinced. After a couple of minutes, she finally stopped and bent her upper body down, supporting herself with her thighs as she panted, exhausted from the laughter. Once she recovered, she looked back up and was greeted by the serious expressions worn by everyone else. It was at that moment she understood the truth in their claims.

"S-Se-_Seriously_?" she asked. "Ash and Hilda are really a...a _thing_?"

"Yep!" Hilda replied in a chipper voice as she smiled happily. "And for the record, we're both happy to be with each other!"

Iris was left dumbfounded. "No way..."

"Yes way..." Anabel replied as she pouted.

"It's _totally_ legit..." added Macy, equally dissatisfied with the fact.

"Wow." Iris blinked rapidly again for a moment. Then, she placed her hands on her hips. "Well, I gotta give Ash credit for that. I never really expected a kid like him to grow up so quickly in a year's span." She pursed her lips once she remembered something. "Wait, so Ash isn't in a good mood, Hilda?"

"Yeah, that's also true..." said Hilda sadly.

"Why? What happened?"

"It's complicated," Cilan replied, "but I'll just say things haven't exactly been going his way."

"Explain it to me," Iris said. "Come on, I'll walk with you guys."

And with that, the group resumed their walk back to the limousine, with Iris now in tow, listening closely to their explanation.

* * *

**Lumiose City International Airport**

Nate thoroughly scanned his current surroundings as he and the rest of the Dream Team walked down the hallway leading to the baggage claim. As soon as he was informed of the whereabouts of the Syndicate's known contacts, the law enforcement agency coalition took a private flight from Sinnoh to Kalos, at the orders of President Durant and their other higher-ups. Right now, their assignment was to infiltrate the Pokémon World Tournament festivities and single out potential suspects.

The boy struggled to contain his excitement the entire flight. After all, this was his first time actually going out on the field as an investigator.

"Oh, for the love of Arceus," a voice snarled, "do contain yourself. You're not doing this case any favors by being your immature self."

Nate growled and stared up at Archer. "For your information, _Archer_," he replied, "I _am_ contained. I know how serious of a situation this is." He then grinned slyly. "Maybe _you_ should contain yourself and treat your colleague with respect."

Archer growled, disgusted that his words were being used against him. He prepared to fire back with another insult, but he noticed the stern glare he received from the ever-observant Looker, which was joined by Tedesco and Jackie. Realizing he was outnumbered against the likes of his student, the International Police agent harrumphed and stuck his chin slightly upward smugly, intentionally giving himself the impression of not wanting to associate with lowly beings such as them any further. Nate and Looker's frowns became even more pronounced at Archer's stance, but chose to ignore it as Lunick, Solana, and the Anistar City Officer Jenny retrieved the first of the group's luggage.

As Looker retrieved his luggage from Solana, he glanced at Nate and asked, "You sure you're up for this, kid?"

"Hm?" The student looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're actually going to do undercover work. Investigating. The stuff only qualified International Police agents do. I'm surprised President Durant approved of this strategy, considering the demographic at hand, but I feel we could've gotten someone else for the job-"

"Are you doubting me?" interrupted Nate.

"You've done a lot to move this investigation forward, and I thank you for that. But I think your knowledge of the Syndicate is all that we need from you-"

However, a serious expression came onto Nate's face. "I can do this, Looker. I think I've learned enough material from my classes to pull this off effectively. And if President Durant was willing in selecting me to fill this position, then surely that means the General Assembly has at least some confidence in my abilities."

"If you insist, Nate." Then, Looker's eyes narrowed slightly. "What's your code-name?"

"Lack-Two," Nate replied tersely, remembering all of the information he was given for the duration of the flight. He frowned distastefully. "Seriously, this is the code-name the General Assembly came up with for me?"

"We have thousands of agents, and only one creative team whose spinning on their wheels twenty-four seven."

"Whatever you say..."

"And what's your undercover identity?"

"Henry Kari. I am a Pokémon Trainer and part-time Breeder from Sinnoh. My older sister Hayley owns a ranch that allows Trainers to deposit their Pokémon for safekeeping. My hobbies are raising Pokémon; riding Ponyta, Rhyhorn, and the like; and playing my guitar. And while I'm at it, I could speak in a cowboy accent-"

"Yeah, please don't do an accent," interrupted Looker. "It's extraneous."

"That last part was sarcasm. Yes, I've got my cover identity."

"Good." Then, Looker watched as Lunick retrieved the last of the luggage. "Well then, let's go, everyone."

The others nodded and followed him out of the airport terminal. As soon as the group stepped outside, Nate took in a fresh breath of air as he took in the foreign environment he was in. He had never been to Kalos before, so it was certainly a surprise to take this mission.

"Well, here we are," the student announced. "Lumiose City."

Little did the group know they were being watched by security cameras the entire time...

* * *

**The Lumiose City Police Station  
Hibernal Avenue**

The city's resident Officer Jenny gazed upon the wall of computer screens alongside a few other police officers. All of them depicted different angles of the airport terminal, and were focused on the Dream Team as they made their entrance to Lumiose City. A malevolent smirk appeared on Jenny's face as she watched the group of investigators find the vehicles rented out to them.

"Officer Jenny," one of her inferiors said, "should we have them arrested? You know we can cover the whole thing up-"

"The Benefactor finds it inadvisable," interrupted Jenny as she maintained her glare at the screens. "Leave this so-called 'Dream Team' to their own devices for the moment. We will change our objective once the Benefactor says we can do so. But for now, our job is to simply survey and observe everything. If we see anything suspicious and out of the ordinary, we report it to Alastair."

"And what would you call the Dream Team's arrival?" asked another officer.

"Way ahead of you, Officer..." Jenny had already whipped out a cellphone and dialed an unknown number. She then placed the phone to her ear and waited for the other end to respond. Then...

"Jenny," Alastair's voice greeted, "I trust that you have something noteworthy to report to me?"

"Yes, I believe we do," Jenny replied. "The Dream Team has arrived."

"So soon? Well, that's interesting. I shall report the Benefactor of this development. Continue watching the entire city, Jenny. The Syndicate is counting on you."

"Got it."

Jenny hung up and then pressed a button on a large dashboard. The computer screens immediately switched to different camera angles depicting multiple locations of Lumiose City. She and her inferiors continued watching the screens closely and with interest as the citizens and tourists continued attending to their activities. All of these innocent people were unaware of the massive singular eye that was watching their movements everywhere, no matter where they went.

* * *

_"__**When every life meets another** life, something will be born__"_

–Excerpt from the Amity Square ruins

* * *

**Next time on "Judgment's Fall"**

**Lloyd:** Man, this place freaking _sucks_!

**Nate:** It's a great pleasure to meet you all.

**Professor Oak:** Quick, we have to move right away!

**Maxie:** You DARE insult our motivations?!

**Darkrai: _GO AWAY!_**

**Reporter:** Oh, my Arceus! It's...It's _collapsing_!

**Bonnie:** *begins crying*

**Ash:** No... No way... There's just no way that happened...

**Looker:** Hello, Ash.

**Chapter 20: ****Oración**

* * *

**At the top of Prism Tower**

Leaf stood beside the dried pool of blood that belonged to Nick, who she last heard was still hospitalized for severe burns inflicted all over his body. The crime scene was taped off, but conspicuously, there were no officers present to process it for any potential evidence left behind. Gazing unflinchingly upon the crimson imprint splattered all over the metal, her lips pursed, but other than that, there was no evident expression of emotion on her face.

Just then, she heard a roar in the distance, and looked up at the sky. She could see a serpentine shape slithering across the air, nearing Lumiose City's immediate atmosphere. Upon identifying the unknown creature, her lips curved into a grin.

"You sure are ready for the upcoming games, Rayquaza," she said, almost in a welcoming tone. "Aren't you?"

* * *

**A/N:** And here we are, ladies and gents! The official return for this Arceus-forsaken story! And it only gets worse from here, let me tell ya. ;)

So, Ash's stalker has finally been identified, and it is Leaf, the ever-elusive female playable character for Generation I! But she certainly seems shady... And the Dream Team has arrived at Lumiose City, unaware of the danger they're already walking themselves into! Whatever will happen to them?

Now, just because I managed to get "Judgment's Fall" back on track, it doesn't mean I'll be able to do the same for "The Way We Will Be". I've been having an even tougher time trying to get that story up, since my inspiration to continue it is at an all-time low. This is mostly because of my current workload, but also because of potential future projects that KEEP coming up and my creativity just can't stop coming up with a story when it sees one). It honestly would figure, since I _did_ say somewhere down the line that it was meant to be the AmourShipping story to prepare me for this one. I'm trying to get back to it, but don't get your hopes up just yet. I'll update it when I am able to update it; that's all I can be able to tell you about "The Way We Will Be". My ideal date for that chapter's posting would still be sometime on August, though.

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

**Moderator:** I will not repeat myself: please be more specific in your review. What did you like about this chapter? What did you not like? Is there anything you want to ask me? If you give me another one-liner review like you've always been giving me, I will block you, because really, it's pretty tedious to get a review that doesn't go into specifics about a reader's opinion, not even in the slightest. You've been warned.

**Wiechcheu1925:**

**1)** You'll learn why Sir Aaron has descendants even though love is forbidden to him.

**2)** Yes, Ash is related by blood to them, but not in a way you would expect. ;)

**3)** Ash's father will make an appearance, but probably a bit brief in this entire story.

**King nintendo (guest reviewer):** Indeed, that is true. And you'll see how this past affects this story's current timeline.

**Guest reviewer:**

**1)** You're welcome. I hope I can update weekly as I used to, though I can't make any concrete promises on that.

**2)** Well, to me, Pokémon definitely sounds like a scientific term that wouldn't be used in the past. So yes, I followed the twelfth movie's example and called Pokémon "magical creatures" instead during the flashbacks.

**3)** Yes, I'm going to write something using the capitalized letters. But, truth be told, I don't plan on making it easy for you guys. You'll see... MWAHAHAHA!

**4)** No, Orlando isn't the same character as the one you mentioned.

**trublsmbob (guest reviewer):**

**1)** Millefeui, yes. Persephone, no.

**2)** Stay tuned for new chapters to come! Hopefully they're good.

**ChE clarinetist:**

**1)** Don't worry, this new series of side stories will definitely shed some needed light on supporting characters. Maybe even more?... ;)

**2)** Ahhhhh... So you think you may have solved the mystery behind the Benefactor and the Syndicate? Ooh, let's see if your assumptions hold up!

**smoothi3 (guest reviewer):**

**1)** You are correct, and for that, you get a NEEEWWWWW CAAARRRRR! *cue "The Price Is Right" music, if you are familiar with it* XD

**2)** So far, not that many changes in sight. But we'll see about that...

Well, hope you enjoyed this long-delayed chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	22. Oración

**A/N:** Alright, first things first, I will have to issue an important warning to those who might draw parallels in a bad way.

A scene depicted will be a bit reminiscent of 9/11.

The moment I thought of the scene and decided to incorporate it into the story, I immediately remembered 9/11 and sought to make sure my scene has as much differences as possible. I wanted to try out any alternative scenarios in mind, but for the purposes of this chapter and advancing the story forward, the scene needed to be destructive and traumatic, but contained to a certain degree. As a result, this was the only way I could write it out in a way that could still be realistic and Pokémon-like at the same time without transcending the boundaries of all-out violence.

Don't worry, no one dies, and there should be several other obvious differences between this scenario and the real thing. I just wanted to let everyone know before the fact, just in case someone thinks of it and calls me out for it. Also, I do not wish to offend or traumatize anyone by writing out a similar event; that was never my intention. It's just the things I do to move the story forward.

On the off chance that anyone wishes to avoid the risk of being offended or traumatized, I highly suggest skipping the second half of the chapter. Otherwise, ENJOY!

**P.S.:** Be prepared for an extra-long chapter, peeps! This one's a new record for me.

* * *

**In the skies  
Unknown location**

At high speeds, Mewtwo flew across the thick, gargantuan banks of dark clouds, seeing more than once the flashes of lightning, hearing more than once the rumbling of thunder all around her. She didn't know how much time had elapsed between her leaving the house and now, but she knew one thing: it had been quite a while until her psychic powers finally registered a signature of interest. It was faint and distant, but she knew it had to be _it_.

The strange being that attacked her at the shipping dock.

Her eyes narrowed at the memory of her assailant. It possessed strength and powers that rivaled hers, even matching them in the fullest extent. One could say that they were much like the sides of a coin. So different, yet so alike. Mewtwo knew the assailant had to be a Pokémon; no human on the planet could demonstrate such prowess in combat, even with the assistance of advanced technology. The question is, however...what Pokémon _was_ it? She hadn't seen a Pokémon with such fighting capabilities.

Whatever the answer was, Mewtwo had a sinking feeling she would regret finding out.

* * *

**Chapter 20: ****Oración**

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters  
****Location unknown**

Jessie stared seriously and longingly at the massive vault door made of reinforced steel, overhearing the softened sounds of construction and chatter emanating from the other side. James was hard at work, thoroughly examining the inner workings of a small computer screen and keyboard situated beside it. As for Meowth, he was standing a few feet away from his colleagues, talking silently on a cellphone.

Jessie's lips curved into a smirk as she could hear the noises gradually stop, until only silence permeated the chamber within.

"You hear that?" she asked without glancing at James.

"Hear what?" replied James, removing the advanced earphones he had been wearing.

"Exactly. Opportunity is drawing nigh..."

Moments later, Meowth nodded in affirmation, switched off the cellphone, and approached Jessie and James, who both regarded him with expectant looks.

"Dat was da boss," the Scratch Cat Pokémon said. "He has given da go-ahead in da proceedings."

"Alright," Jessie replied as she procured four Poké Balls. "It's showtime."

James nodded in agreement as he took out three Poké Balls of his own. The two Team Rocket grunts threw all seven in the air, unleashing their Pokémon. Jessie's grin widened slightly as she gazed upon the numbers so graciously provided to them by Giovanni.

"Okay, everyone," she announced, "here's the plan. Pumpkaboo!" Pumpkaboo came at full attention. "You keep station at the left hallway and be on the lookout for anyone who may be approaching. Alert us if there are, but do not attack, I repeat, do _not_ attack."

"The same goes for you, Carnivine!" ordered James seriously.

Carnivine nodded optimistically, smiling as it latched onto its Trainer's body and engulfed his head in its toothy mouth.

"AAAGGGHHH!" screamed the blue-haired man. "CARNIVINE, REMEMBER YOUR TRAINING! HANDS OFF!"

Jessie and Meowth sighed in embarrassment before the former glanced at her remaining Pokémon.

"Wobbuffet, Seviper, guard the right hallway," she ordered.

The Patient Pokémon and the Fang Snake Pokémon nodded obediently at their Trainer's command. The two then made haste down the hallway at the group's right, while Carnivine finally released James from its embrace and followed Pumpkaboo down the hallway at their left. After James rubbed the areas that were the most injured by his beloved Grass-type Pokémon to assuage the pain, he then glared at his next Pokémon.

"Mime Jr., Inkay," he said, "find the circuit board for all the security cameras in the area and disable it in a way that'll make it appear like an accident."

The two Pokémon nodded and went off to find their assigned item. Meanwhile, Jessie next looked at her final Pokémon.

"Yanmega," she said, "patrol the entire interior of this base. Give us an idea where exactly we are and what our current coordinates are." The magenta-haired woman then approached the Ogre Darner Pokémon and pressed a button on the collar strapped around its neck, causing it to become invisible. "And don't worry about being seen. As long as you are silent, you will have nothing to worry about. Now, go, go! The fate of Team Rocket depends on you!"

Yanmega nodded and flew off down the left hallway, leaving the Team Rocket trio alone with the suspicious-looking vault door.

"Alright, now dat _dat's_ outta da way..." Meowth began.

"We can begin," completed Jessie.

"Way ahead of you," James announced as he completely reassembled the computer screen and began typing furiously away on the keyboard. "Okay, I've managed to find a fail-safe mechanism that would issue an automatic silent alarm to the operators should this security system be hacked into."

"So, why don't you remove it?"

"That thing is attached to another fail-safe mechanism that would not only issue an automatic silent alarm, but give the tamperer a nice electrocution. Now, naturally, that sort of thing wouldn't be a problem, since we've practically become immune to electricity at this point-"

"But we have da alarm ta deal wit too..." Meowth completed.

"Exactly, and we cannot expose our identities just yet." James then snapped his fingers in a clever motion. "Fortunately, I've managed to find a way to temporarily disable the first fail-safe and give you two enough time to give the room a look-see and then get out."

"There's a catch, isn't there?" asked Jessie.

"Yeah. The fail-safe will immediately activate once I start the hacking, so these guys-" James flexed his fingers for emphasis. "-need to be at their fastest if I am to give you as much time as you can possibly get."

"How fast can ya be able ta break dat ting?" Meowth asked.

"If my hacking skills haven't gotten rusty for the past year, I'd say two minutes. This should give you guys another three minutes to get in and out of there."

"Three minutes?" Jessie asked incredulously. "Really?"

"What can I tell you, Jess? These guys sure know how to prepare for the worst. Three minutes is the best I can give you."

"But if ya mess up," Meowth said disapprovingly, "all ya can ever give us is no time at all!"

"Meowth, shut up," snapped Jessie. "Don't give James any more pressure than there already is." She picked up a bag that had been lying next to her the entire time. "It's a good thing we came prepared as well." She then looked at James. "Start working, James; we'll get ourselves equipped and ready to go. Now, I hope you all remember the cover story we cooked up in case we're not able to get away in time?"

"Got it," James replied as he took out a wire from his pocket and plugged one end into the keyboard.

"As clear as a whistle," added Meowth.

As the blue-haired man began hacking into the security technology, Jessie and Meowth reached into the bag, pulled out skin-tight, black full-body suits, complete with face masks, and quickly zipped them on. Then, they took out strange green canisters and held onto two each. Next, they took out small cameras, strapped them onto their heads, and pressed buttons that caused a blinking red light to go off. Finally, they timed their watches to 180 seconds.

"Alright, James, we're ready," announced Jessie. "Are you almost done there?"

"HA!" James clicked on one final key before glancing at his colleagues. "That wasn't so difficult!"

A soft clanking sound was heard, and the trio watched as the vault door began to slowly open up. As soon as the crack was wide enough to fit a person, Jessie and Meowth leaped into the room, which was fortunately shrouded in darkness, putting their suits to good use. However, as soon as they entered, they immediately became still, their five senses all elevated to the levels of wary Pokémon sensing hunters nearby.

Without saying a word, Jessie removed the pin from her first canister and threw it across the room. It began spewing an odorless, almost colorless smoke that spread throughout as much of the expansive chamber as possible. As it did, red lasers began to appear, being affected by the strange smoke. They stretched across many parts of the room in different lengths and angles. Some of them were even moving in various ways.

"This oughta be child's play," Jessie said.

"Ya got dat right, Jess!" exclaimed Meowth.

Quickly laying out a pathway from their current position to the next clear area, the two Team Rocket grunts moved into the laser-filled area and began maneuvering their way past each and every laser without being touched. They jumped, somersaulted, crawled, ducked, edged, and leaned to the side for several seconds until they finally reached the clear area, at which point Jessie's canister spewed out the last of its smoke and the lasers disappeared.

"Alright," Jessie said as she retrieved the canister for safekeeping, "take as much pictures as you can and then move to the next angle. We've got-" She quickly checked her watch. "134 seconds left."

"I got it, I got it, okay Jess?!" snapped Meowth quickly as he and the woman began snapping away with their head-mounted cameras. "No need ta remind me!"

After spending a couple of seconds taking photos, the two repeated their movements as they relocated to the next laser-clear area, this time using Meowth's canister. As they took more photos, the two began to deduce from their positions that they were looking at some sort of storage room.

With 111 seconds left, the two had moved to their next area, to which Meowth asked, "What kinda place is dis supposed ta be, anyway? I tought dis would be a room full of awesome stuff, like a supaweapon or a ginoymous cage or someting like dat! But what're we doin'? Eh?! What're we DOIN'?! Taking photos of _boxes_!"

"Oh Meowth, shut up," snapped Jessie quietly. "They put all of this behind a vault door of reinforced steel, which we haven't seen anywhere else, so all of this has to be important for something. But it doesn't matter what kind of importance these things have on the Syndicate's scheme. It is only imperative we take these photos and then relay them all to the boss so he can make the guesses from there."

"If ya insist..." The Scratch Cat Pokémon then looked around the room and noticed something strange. "By the way, Jess?"

"What?! Can't you see I'm _busy_?!"

"Didn't ya say dere were _people_ inside 'ere?"

"Yes, that's true. Why?"

"Because da only way outta dis dump is trough da vault door-"

Jessie slapped Meowth in the back of the head. "Oh, who cares, Meowth?! The room is empty, we're here, let's just keep taking photos, like the boss expects us to!"

Then, the two moved their way to their fourth and final area, as they now had only 57 seconds left before the silent alarm could be activated. As he was taking photos, Meowth quickly noticed for the first time a small table situated at the center of the room, protected by a glass tube that stretched all the way to the ceiling. The table was holding nothing except for a sign with writing displayed on it. However, it was too far away, and Meowth could only make out a few letters.

He thought he was able to make out one word ('Allure' or something similar) before Jessie suddenly grabbed him and maneuvered through the lasers again.

"AGH!" Meowth shrieked, surprised by his colleague's abruptness. "Wat da HECK, Jess?!"

"We have 25 second left and we need to get outta here FAST!" Jessie replied desperately.

Meowth could yell and grunt as Jessie held onto him while continuing to avoid the lasers activated by her last canister. Finally, after a few seconds of this desperate and rushed yet careful maneuvering, she was able to reach the open vault door, grab the canister, and hop as far as she possibly could through the doorway.

There, she found James, who was quickly trying to push the door shut. Jessie and Meowth immediately sprung to action, assisting their comrade.

"How much photos did you take?!" exclaimed James as he continued pushing the vault door shut.

"As much as we needed," Jessie replied, sneering triumphantly.

"Dese photos will _nail_ dose Syndicate wannabes!" added Meowth.

It didn't take long until the trio's combined efforts finally closed the vault door. Immediately afterwards, the automatic locking system was reactivated and the silent alarm was finally activated. Then, the three got out of their current attire, placed back on their janitor disguises, and hid their technology away in Jessie's bag. They then called back all of their Pokémon (sans Yanmega) and swiftly put them back into their Poké Balls after congratulating their efforts.

Seconds later, Syndicate grunts arrived to find a trio of janitors bickering over a spilled bucket of soap water that conveniently splashed onto the keyboard.

* * *

**Team Rocket Emergency Headquarters  
Location top-secret  
A couple of hours later**

Giovanni grinned in satisfaction as he watched the computer screen display the photos sent by Jessie, James, and Meowth, one by one. At first glance, it would seem those photos contained nothing useful, but naturally, the syndicate leader knew better than to judge a book by its cover. Thus, he ordered his best agents working in the office to thoroughly examine all of the photos and make out anything truly useful. For the time being, he would have Jessie, James, and Meowth continue their undercover operations under his command. Hopefully they'd learn even more information, more than what they were able to get from that secret vault they found.

His grin widened even more at the thought as he continued to stroke his beloved Persian, its affectionate purrs filling the office.

"Giovanni, sir," announced Matori as she approached her superior's side.

"Yes, Matori?" the businessman replied without looking away from the screen. "What is it?"

"Butch and Cassidy have arrived. They wish to know if you have a mission for them."

"Butch and Cassidy?" Giovanni frowned in disdain. "Those two lowlifes? Send them off."

"Sir?" Matori's eyebrow became raised in confusion.

"I told you to send them off. They've been nothing but nuisances as of late." He then chuckled grimly. "It's actually kind of funny, Matori. A long time ago, I would've considered Butch and Cassidy to be my top grunts while Jessie and James would've been at the bottom of the food chain. But that's now a thing of the past, and the roles have been switched. It's a bit of a shame, but I cannot tolerate _failures_ working high-priority missions. Now Matori, get Butch and Cassidy back to their regular duties as scheduled!"

"Understood, sir," replied the secretary as she bowed loyally.

* * *

Little did Giovanni or Matori know someone was eavesdropping on their conversation. A gold-haired woman and a green-haired man both growled as they overheard the less-than-stellar comments their superior had for them.

"Us, _failures_?" snarled Butch. "Do you hear that, Cass! The boss just called US failures! Us, Butch and Cassidy!"

"We're supposed to be the top agents around here!" Cassidy snapped savagely. "Not those miserable excuses we call Jessie and James, not to mention their Meowth!"

"We need to do something about it..."

"We WILL to do something about it!" Cassidy raised a clenched fist of absolute determination in the air. "We'll do it, or our names are not Cassidy and Hutch!"

"MY NAME'S BUTCH, NOT HUTCH, ARCEUS-DAMN IT!" Butch then sighed. "You used to remember my name correctly..."

* * *

**Alamos Town, Sinnoh**

Tonio Gaudí screamed as he abruptly shot up from his bed, beads of cold sweat dripping down his face from his forehead. At first, he was ready to violently lash out at anything in sight. Then, he realized after a moment that he was back in his bedroom, situated directly next to his private study.

Panting rapidly at first, the scientist began to calm down and his breathing steadied. Once he had fully calmed down, Tonio stood up and went over to his study to get himself a glass of water. Once he got what he wanted, he returned to the bedroom and glanced through the window. As he took a sip of his water, he focused on the full moon that was suspended in the sky, bathing the town in its pale moonlight.

_"There was no need to panic, Tonio,"_ he thought in an attempt to console himself. _"It was just a nightmare..."_

Upon making that observation, Tonio's eyes narrowed seriously. The memories of what happened two years ago were still fresh on his mind.

_"Yeah, a nightmare... That's right..."_

* * *

**The local prison  
****Lumiose City, Kalos  
The next day**

Cecile and the three Lumiose City Gangsters sat in one prison cell, while Floyd, Lloyd, Sid, and Burke were sitting in another. They were all either resting or twiddling their fingers impatiently or nervously. Cecile had also taken to playing with one of the female gangsters a game of checkers graciously provided by the prison. As for Sid, he was pacing around, muttering incomprehensible gibberish to himself, his expression looking erratic.

"Man," groaned Lloyd as he kicked back on the bed he was lying on, "this place freaking _sucks_!"

"It's a _prison_, idiot," Sid snapped in response. "What did you _think_ it was going to be like?!"

"Oh, I don't know. Anything but sucky, I'll tell ya."

"I'll tell you what really sucks! Your Arceus-damn attitude! How could you just look at all of this with that stupid smile of yours?!"

"Three words: because. I. can." Lloyd then finished his response with a sadistic, psychotic giggle.

"Arceus-damn it." Sid then yelled out in frustration as he grabbed his hair and threatened to tear tufts of it from the roots. "This is unbelievable! Totally _unbelievable_! We had the ultimate get-rich-quick scheme worthy of one of those clever heist movies! We could've gotten it all! But then, in a span of a couple of hours, all of that just goes down the drain, and because of what, some damn CHILDREN!"

"Those children had lots of help, though," Cecile piped. "In the form of the Gym Leaders, Champions, and Elite Four members from six regions."

"It doesn't matter! We were supposed to get away despite all of that manpower!"

"Yeah, the plan was good, man," the male gangster groaned. "It was _so_ good..."

"Yes, indeed it _was_ a good plan. It was the _perfect_ plan."

"So then, what exactly went wrong?" asked Burke.

Sid's eyes narrowed at the question. "Oh, I'll tell you what went wrong, Burke. I'll tell you _exactly_ what went wrong..."

Floyd raised his head for a centimeter, apparently intrigued.

* * *

_**"**_**Adam_. Adam was _exactly_ what went wrong with that damn plan."_**

In another, more secluded room in the prison, Adam was lying on the floor, curled up in a fetal position. He was wearing a straitjacket, which limited his movements to an extreme degree, preventing him from doing anything to hurt himself or anyone who approached him. The green-haired villain had stopped struggling long ago, but he was still twitching uncontrollably, fueled by a psychotic rage that could only be indicated through unnatural, disturbing calmness.

There was only one thing Adam could say as he laid on the floor, writhing pathetically.

"Little Serena, I'll get you. Little Serena, I'm gonna get you. Little Serena, I WILL get you..."

* * *

**The Prism Tower**

Diane gasped in awe as she stared up at the Prism Tower, marveling its very structure. She had seen natural rock formations of a similar shape, but never before had she seen an organized, man-made construction like that. She wished Ash, Pikachu, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie were there beside her. That way, they could tell her what the structure was and anything interesting to note.

Speaking of which...

The princess shook her head and resumed walking. After all, her primary objective was seeking out her good human friends, not sightseeing. That would have to wait until after she found them and ensured she would be safe with them.

She never noticed the pair of police officers eyeing her curiously...

* * *

**Hotel Richissime  
North Boulevard**

Nate, Looker, and the rest of the Dream Team stared at the advanced equipment they set up in one of their hotel rooms. It consisted of multiple computer screens situated against a wall, connected to a single large keyboard; a small laptop connected to said keyboard; a large clipboard with notes, newspaper clippings, and photos attached to it; a cabinet full of spy-gear; and a second cabinet full of disguises. Nate's proud smile widened even more as he scanned the entire room.

"Perfect, just perfect," he said, crossing his arms. "Looks like we're all ready to go!"

"Now, now, kid," Looker replied, "don't get too excited."

"Yeah," added a sardonic Archer. "After all, your contagious, childish giddiness will damage something from a mere touch."

Nate's face turned red, but a potential confrontation between student and teacher was defused the moment Looker gave Archer a stern glare, which was enough to intimidate him into silence. As for Jackie, he approached the computer screens and flipped a switch, which caused them all to activate; all of their screen backgrounds boasted the insignia of the BW Agency (for the purpose of a quick disguise, should someone stumble across the tech).

"Okay," the Pokémon Ranger announced. "This room will be our headquarters. I made sure no maintenance staff would come into this room. There are four other rooms booked for the Dream Team. One for the Rangers, one for the G-Men, one for the International Policemen, and one for the Officer Jennys. Every day, we will convene her to discuss our next strategies and compile our reports."

"So, what's the plan for today?" asked Nate.

"I'm getting on it. Now, the Pokémon World Tournament is scheduled to begin in a few more days or so. In a sense, it's a bit of a good thing the Lumiose City Disaster happened, otherwise we wouldn't have this kind of leeway." Everyone's skins paled at that remark, but the Pokémon Ranger continued speaking. "Nate, you're to sign up on the PWT registry and become a participant today. You do know where to register, right?"

"Pokémon Center," replied the student. "Not the local one, though, but the one created specifically for the PWT."

"Excellent."

"And then that's when I do all the infiltration and spy work, is that right?"

"Correct," Tedesco replied. "You're going to find other people connected to the event. Fellow participants, Gym Leaders, celebrity guests, the like. Ask around, get us some good intel about everyone and everything involved. And most of all, once you find someone who seems like a good candidate for a Syndicate contact, establish a relationship with him or her. Gain his or her trust. And send us hourly reports while you're at it."

"This is a very serious job we're assigning you, kiddo," piped Solana. "Are you sure you're up for this?"

"Up?" Nate made a determined fist. "I'm higher than the clouds on this!"

Archer scoffed and said, "Yeah, yeah. Just don't get too carried away, boy." His eyes narrowed. "This is not some spy movie you're the lead character of."

"Of course, you're the one who's always been telling me that..."

"What's your code-name?" Looker asked suddenly.

"Lack-Two," Nate replied, quickly and efficiently.

"What's your cover identity?"

"Henry Kari."

"And your cover history?"

"I am a Pokémon Trainer and part-time Breeder from Sinnoh. My older sister Hayley owns a ranch that allows Trainers to deposit their Pokémon for safekeeping. My hobbies are raising Pokémon; riding Ponyta, Rhyhorn, and the like; and playing my guitar."

The rest of the Dream Team, sans a disapproving Archer, smiled slightly at Nate's ability to perfectly recall all important information.

"I guess you're ready and up for this, kid," said the Anistar City Jenny.

Nate flashed a kind, youthful smile at the comment. "Thanks!"

Archer's frown became even more pronounced as he continued to observe his student in action. However, he refrained from speaking anything as he watched Looker and Tedesco guide Nate towards the cabinet full of the Dream Team's disguises.

"Now, kid," Looker said, "here's the disguise you're going to be wearing. We selected the clothes specifically with you in mind."

Tedesco opened up the cabinet, which proudly displayed the clothes Nate was assigned. The student blinked at it in surprise, while his eyebrow became raised. It was extremely obvious he wasn't expecting what kind of clothes he was supposed to be wearing.

"_This_ is what I'm gonna wear?..." he asked.

"What were you expecting?" replied a slightly puzzled Tedesco.

"I was expecting something along the lines of cowboy clothes, since I'm a Pokémon Breeder coming from a ranch and all..."

Looker chuckled and shook his head. "Nate, Nate, Nate... I think you've watched too many Western movies."

* * *

**The PWT Pokémon Center**

Nate entered the specialized Pokémon Center, wearing his new attire. It consisted of a blue-and-black shirt; a zipped-up, dark-blue, short-sleeved jacket; silver cargo shorts; black-and-red running shoes; a red Xtransceiver; and a red visor with a white-and-black-lined Poké Ball symbol. After adjusting the collar of his undershirt (where his wire was secretly and cleverly hidden), he approached the front desk, where a Nurse Joy was operating with a Chansey.

As he continued walking, he noticed a few other Joys, alongside their Pokémon and a group of volunteers, treating several wounded people and Pokémon, no doubt those who suffered longer-lasting injuries from the Lumiose City Disaster. He grunted in disgust, just before he stopped in front of the desk.

"Oh, hello there!" greeted the Joy at the desk as soon as she noticed Nate.

"Chansey!" added Joy's Chansey in a happy, welcoming tone.

"Hi," Nate replied with a wave of his hand.

"How may I help you today?" Joy asked.

"I'm here to sign up for the Pokémon World Tournament."

Upon hearing this response, Joy raised an eyebrow. "This late?"

Nate chuckled nervously, remembering that the PWT would've been underway at this point had it not been for the people who tried to kidnap the BW Agency Presidents. The chances of successfully signing up at this point would've been close to zero.

"Yeah," he replied, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. "Well, I guess I have really bad timing..."

"Hey, same with me!" a voice exclaimed.

Nate looked to his side and saw a younger boy quickly approaching him, flanked by a Ferrothorn, a Hydreigon, and (to his surprise) a Lucario. The boy had teal eyes and grayish-brown hair; and he was wearing an orange T-shirt with red-striped shoulders, dark-blue cargo shorts, bright-red-and-black high-top sneakers, and a pale-yellow scarf. Judging from his jittery movements, Nate assumed this boy was one of the hyperactive ones.

"Dude," continued the boy, speaking at a slightly fast pace, "it's great to know I'm not the only one around here who arrives at the worst possible time during an important event! If the Lumiose City Disaster happened, we wouldn't be able to get in, actually!" His smile widened. "In retrospect, it's a good thing the thing happened!" A second later, he shuddered, while his Lucario slapped its forehead in disbelief. "Yeah, I think I spoke too much..."

"Yeah, you kinda did..." replied Nate. Then, he looked at Joy. "Anyway, I still would like to sign in."

"As you wish," Joy said, bowing slightly. "Just please, touch this panel with your Pokédex." She pointed down to the aforementioned panel, an automatic computer screen on the desk that immediately responded to her nearing index finger.

"Yes, just hold on a sec." Nate reached into his pocket and pulled out the Pokédex provided to him by Looker. "Alrighty then..."

He placed the device on top of the Pokédex. After a quick scan, a robotic male voice filled the area.

_**"Henry Kari from Veilstone City of the Sinnoh region is now registered to enter the Pokémon World Tournament. Number of Badges currently in your possession: four. We wish you the best of luck."**_

"Thank you for registering," Joy added for effect, "and we hope you have a fun time here in Lumiose City while you're at it, Henry!"

"Thanks, Nurse Joy!" replied Nate.

Joy nodded before leaving the desk to assist another Nurse Joy in dealing with one of their patients, leaving Nate alone with the other boy.

"So," the boy piped, "your name is Henry?"

"Yep, that's what the computer said!" Nate smiled. "After all, who else would I be? I mean, I'm definitely not someone using a fake identity or something like that!"

In his mind, he was face-palming at the stupid remark he made. He could hear the rest of the Dream Team actually doing so through his wire. Fortunately for him, the boy didn't seem to take notice of the strange response.

"Cool, my name's Cameron!" The boy then gestured to his Pokémon. "And these are my trusty Pokémon friends, Lucario, Hydreigon, and Ferrothorn! Say hi, guys!"

Hydreigon and Ferrothorn roared at Nate in greeting, while Lucario merely nodded its head respectfully.

"It's a great pleasure to meet you all," Nate replied, his smile widening.

_**"**_**_Ask around, get us some good intel about everyone and everything involved."_**

Remembering Tedesco's words, the disguised student added, "Hey, Cameron, I hope you don't mind if I, uh, tag along with you."

"Tag along?" asked Cameron, puzzled.

"Well, I mean, this is my first time in the Kalos region and I doubt I'm gonna know anyone here."

Cameron smiled widely at the request. "Oh, don't worry about that! This is my first time in Kalos too, and I'm not sure if I know anyone else participating in the PWT. Might as well make a friend now, so you don't stick out in a bad way!" He stretched out his arm, inviting Nate to a handshake. "So what do ya say, man? Friends till the end, no matter what?"

Nate smiled, appreciating Cameron's honesty and feeling relieved he coincidentally stumbled across him. With that, he grasped the Trainer's hand with his own.

"Friends till the end, no matter what."

"Awesome!" Cameron broke the handshake and crossed his arms. "So, what do ya say we do some training?!"

"Training?"

"Yeah! The PWT is only a few days away, and we gotta prepare as much as we can, right? I know a good battlefield right here in the city!" He began running towards the entrance, followed by his Pokémon. "Come on, man, let's go!"

Nate blinked rapidly, feeling somewhat overwhelmed by Cameron's hyperactive and impulsive nature. However, he thought it was tolerable, in its own way. That said, he returned his newfound friend's smile and followed after him.

As they neared the Pokémon Center entrance, they nearly collided with a girl around Nate's age, who was just entering the building. She had brown hair, just like his, tied into long twin pigtails, along with blue eyes. She was also wearing a white shirt with long light-blue sleeves and a pink-and-black Poké Ball symbol on the chest, black pants with a yellow skirt attachment, light-blue running shoes, a black-and-yellow Xtransceiver, and a white-and-pink-striped visor.

"AGH!" the girl squeaked as her head nearly bumped into Nate's. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"

Before Nate could have the chance to apologize, the girl ran past him, towards Nurse Joy's desk. The boy blinked, puzzled about her behavior, but those thoughts were dispelled the moment Cameron began half-dragging him out of the Center.

"Come on, man!" he exclaimed. "This is no time to ogle!"

"WHAT?!" shouted Nate, startling Cameron and anyone else nearby. His face was as red as a Tamato Berry. "_OGLE_?! I WASN'T OGLING, CAMERON!"

* * *

"AGH! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"

Rosa didn't waste anymore time, rushing past the boy she nearly bumped into and approaching the desk where Nurse Joy was supposed to be. She found no one there, but she assumed it was because everyone was busy treating people still suffering injuries from the so-called Lumiose City Disaster. As she waited for someone to attend to the desk duties, she began to recount her instructions for clarification.

_"What's your code-name?"_

**_"Whi-Two."_**

_"What's your cover identity?"_

**_"Rosa White. ...Seriously, this is the cover identity you came up for me?"_**

_"It's not like anyone at the PWT knows who you are, aside from our spies. No need to worry about unneeded recognition. Now, what's your cover history?"_

**_"I'm a Pokémon Coordinator from Hoenn. My idols are the Top Coordinators Lisia, May, and Marina. I want to meet them in person one day, and the PWT is my best opportunity to do so."_**

_"And what's your mission?"_

**_"To infiltrate the circle of friends Lisia, May, and Marina have developed, and manipulate events to reach an outcome desirable for the Syndicate."_**

_"Good. Very good. Now, make us proud, Rosa. Bring pride to the glorious name of the Syndicate...and your mother."_

**_"Understood, Alastair sir. Thank you for this fantastic opportunity."_**

"May I help you?" a voice asked, pulling Rosa out of her thoughts. Staring at the Nurse Joy that arrived at the desk, her lips curved into a satisfied grin.

"Yes," she replied optimistically. "I'm here to sign up for the Pokémon World Tournament."

Upon hearing this response, Joy raised an eyebrow. "This late?"

"Yeah," she replied, sheepishly scratching the back of her head. "Well, I guess I have really bad timing..."

* * *

**Route 13  
Directly outside Lumiose City**

Calem stopped at the outskirts of Lumiose City and looked around, observing his surroundings closely with keen eyes. His body was still engulfed by the strange blue aura, and it seemed as if he was still invisible to the naked eye, for a couple of Spritzee flew by without even noticing him.

Once he finished scanning the environment, the Kalos Trainer knelt down and examined the two sets of footprints left in the rough trail. He then quickly took notice of the small pebble lying a few centimeters away from a particular pair of footprints belonging to one of the sets, which was somewhat smaller than the other. Picking it up, Calem sniffed it for a few seconds, then glared at it with an expression of slight disgust. Afterwards, he carelessly threw it to the side and gazed up at the trail.

"It's faint," he said to thin air, "but I sense Dark Aura residue."

_**"From which set of footprints?"**_

"It's difficult to determine," replied Calem. "The scent is too faint for me to pinpoint its exact origin."

_**"Do you believe this opens the possibility of **_**two _Dark Aura Users in the city? Two sets of footprints, both freshly made in the earth, their positions suggesting a meeting of sorts..."_**

"Well then, that means there's one extra problem we have to deal with. But the Dark Aura Users haven't played their hands yet."

_**"Either way, this only serves as superfluous proof to our theory, that at least one Dark Aura User is in the city. Why continue to investigate when we made the realization weeks ago?"**_

"Wherever there are Dark Aura Users, there's always dead bodies." The Kalos Trainer stood up. "No deaths have been reported in the city, suspicious or otherwise, and Dark Aura Users never last over a week without replenishment." His eyes narrowed as he continued staring up at the trail. "The User or Users must have set up a Dark Aura reserve of some kind up there to provide them with the necessary nourishment while escaping any sort of detection."

_**"If that is true..."**_

"Then forest Pokémon in close proximity to it are in grave danger," completed Calem. He began walking down the trail, further away from Lumiose City. "We must investigate, Xerneas, at once."

* * *

**Birch Laboratories  
****Littleroot Town, Hoenn**

Gary Oak tapped his foot impatiently, attempting to pass the time by observing the laboratory he was in. He trained his focus on a number of random objects in the room: Birch's desk, a bookshelf, a microscope lying on a polished wooden table, a photo of Birch with a young boy hanging on the wall, three Poké Balls presumably containing the Hoenn starter Pokémon... However, none of that did absolutely nothing to stave his frustration at the predicament he and his grandfather were facing.

Just some time ago, they learned about what happened at the Orange Archipelago: a criminal organization calling itself the Syndicate had captured the Legendary Birds, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres, and used them to lure out Lugia, the Guardian of the Seas. They then captured Lugia as well, resulting in the current known only as the Beast of the Sea to spiral out of control. As a result, numerous islands in the archipelago suffered devastating floods and hundreds of casualties. However, reports attributed the floods to an unfortunate shift in weather patterns and covered up their true cause.

It was only when the General Assembly of the International Police decided to contact the Pokémon Professors of the world in private and divulge the information to them did Gary and his grandfather realize the truth. Legendary Pokémon were being captured by the Syndicate from left to right, with thousands of humans and Pokémon being slain in the process, and everyone was being put in the dark about it.

As expected, this revelation didn't sit well with Gary, or the other Professors for that matter.

"Tauros-shit..." the Pokémon researcher muttered.

"What was that?" a voice asked.

Gary glared up at Tracey Sketchit, his grandfather's assistant, who had been forced to tag along with them on their trip to Littleroot Town.

"I said Tauros-shit," replied Gary bitterly.

Tracey looked hesitant, unwilling to poke a nerve. "Um...what is?..."

"This whole thing, all of it." Gary stood up from the sofa he had been sitting on. "Snowpoint City, Pinwheel Forest, Nuvema Town, the Orange Islands... All of those places being destroyed and the authorities refusing to tell the public about it... I call Tauros-shit on that!" He slammed a clenched fist into the nearby wall, using so much force that the material threatened to break. "I can't believe they would do that to innocent civilians while the situation merely gets more out of hand and the Syndicate gets more and more powerful!"

"I agree, that method was a bit shady on the authorities' part," Tracey replied, "but the authorities are doing all they can to stop this. Why do you think they called in Professor Oak and all the others?"

"They could've done so the moment the Syndicate took their first Legendary! Had it ever occurred to them they could've done _that_?!"

The assistant became even more apprehensive, but he tried to press on. "I know things are looking bad, Gary, but what's done is done. Right now, we have to focus on catching this..._Syndicate_ and put a stop to whatever they're doing before more innocent lives are lost. Not what could've been."

Gary grunted and looked away stubbornly. "But what they did, you've gotta admit it was _disgusting_. Arceus would cry in shame at their methods."

"It was disgusting, the way they handled this whole thing, but we can't let it be in the forefront of our minds. We just _can't_, Gary."

The researcher grunted again in disapproval, but nodded. However, Tracey continued to observe Gary, knowing that to him, it wasn't over yet.

Just then, the set of doors suddenly burst open, and Gary and Tracey's eyes were gravitated toward the people entering the room: Oak, Professor Elm, Professor Birch, Birch's assistant Joshua, and Professor Juniper. All of them were wearing serious expressions on their faces, except for Oak, who looked completely beside himself. Gary and Tracey could guess exactly why.

"This is complete Tauros-shit..." Oak mumbled to himself, surprising the two teenage boys.

"Grandpa?" asked Gary. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" The elderly professor shot a look at his grandson. "I'll tell you what's wrong, Gary. It's this whole situation! People and Pokémon alike are dying at this so-called Syndicate's own leisure, and-and the authorities don't even do as much as issue a sound bite of the whole ordeal to _us_! Pokémon Professors, the leading experts of Pokémon, who could offer them assistance in the investigation! Can you believe it?!"

"I know, right?!" Gary exclaimed as he beamed at his grandfather.

Tracey sighed sadly as he watched grandfather and grandson exchange less-than-stellar words about law enforcement between each other. At the corner of his eye, he saw Professor Elm shaking his head at him in a signal to not interfere, for the two have made their opinions already.

Then, Juniper cleared her throat loudly, interrupting Oak and Gary's conversation.

"If you two don't mind," she said, "we've got some work to do!" She examined the small notepad she had been holding. "The General Assembly of the International Police wants us to meet up with them at their Sinnoh base, near Sandgem Town. Remember, Samuel?"

"Yes..." Oak cleared his throat and straightened out his tie in an attempt to regain self-control. "Yes, that's right. Rowan's going to meet us there..." He then grabbed the bag lying next to the sofa Gary had been sitting on. "Quick, we have to move right away!"

Before the rest of the Professors could grab their necessary belongings, the ringing of a cellphone began reverberating across the room. Elm blinked, reached into the pocket of his lab-coat, and pulled out his cellphone.

"Oh, that's for me..." he said. Pressing a button, he brought the device to his ear. "Hello? ... President Durant! Is there any up- ... Wait, what?" His eyes widened. "You're kidding! ... Alright, alright, we're on our way there! Keep us posted!"

As he hung up the cellphone, Birch grabbed his arm and asked, "What? What's going on?!"

"A team of grunts from Teams Aqua, Magma, Galactic, and Plasma were spotted at Sinnoh."

"Where in Sinnoh?" Oak and Gary asked simultaneously.

"Alamos Town."

* * *

As the Professors and the two boys continued conversing, Joshua felt the cellphone in his pocket vibrate, signaling an incoming call. Looking at Birch apprehensively, he then took the cellphone out, took a few steps away from the group, and responded to the call.

"Hello?" he whispered.

"Hello yourself, Joshua," a voice replied. "I trust you've still got your eyes on the Professors?"

"Of course I do." Joshua closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. "You don't have to do this-"

"Oh, but I have _every_ intention of doing this. The Syndicate and I. Now, do your job or you will suffer from the repercussions. Do you understand?"

Joshua sighed again and replied, "I...I understand..."

He could imagine his caller smiling maliciously.

"Good."

* * *

**Unknown location**

Orlando hung up his phone and looked at Alastair, who was sitting on the other side of the small plastic table before them both. There was an expectant look on his superior's face, obscured slightly by the rising column of smoke emanating from the cup of coffee in front of him.

"Well?" Alastair asked.

"Well what?" replied Orlando coolly. "We know Joshua will cooperate. He's got nothing to lose at this point."

"I'm talking about..." Then, the Syndicate lieutenant paused and seemed to think about his words for a moment. "Never mind."

A minute later, a female Syndicate grunt from an unknown organization appeared in the walkway. In her hands was a plastic tray of food and drinks.

"For you two sirs," she greeted.

"Thank you," replied Orlando as he took the tray from her. "Hey, how longer till we get to Alamos Town?"

The grunt checked her watch. "In another...half-hour or so."

"Okay. Thank you."

The grunt nodded and walked back to her original post. Watching her go, Alastair then looked at Orlando with a grin on his face.

"This should be plenty enough time for the Oración mission to be executed _perfectly_," he said.

Orlando nodded and returned the smile. Then, he looked out of the private jet's window, watching as the rows of mountains and rocky terrain passed by from below.

* * *

**Alamos Garden  
Alamos Town, Sinnoh**

Tonio longingly stared down at the glittering water below the cliff, immersed in thought as he rubbed his chin with his finger. He was currently standing at the balcony in Alamos Garden overlooking the lake that was surrounding the base of the mesa Alamos Town was built on. It was always a beautiful, majestic sight to behold, even if he was a citizen and he had seen the view countless times before. However, he didn't have time to enjoy it as usual. No, there were troubling things on his mind, things that took precedence over the magnificent view.

Namely, the nightmare he had last night.

He just couldn't understand it. Then again, what _could_ he understand about it, since he could only remember bits and images of it. However, it was an odd nightmare, nevertheless, odd enough to keep his foremost attention. The scientist was still a bit skeptical over classifying it as a nightmare. However, every time he doubted it, he remembered how he woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat and the dread of impending danger still on him.

Remembering his great-grandfather Godey, Tonio wondered if he experienced the same kind of nightmare Godey had all those generations ago. If so...could that mean his mind somehow foretold events, horrible events at that?...

"Tonio, what's wrong?" a voice asked, just as the scientist felt something lift away from his shoulder.

He exhaled and gazed into a pair of eyes as blue as the ocean. Eyes that would make anyone's heart melt, no matter how cold it was. Eyes that captured his heart the moment he first laid his own eyes on them. Eyes that always assured him everything was going to be fine.

"It's nothing, Alice," Tonio replied, smiling innocently.

"Are you sure?" Alice broke away from him and leaned against the railing of the balcony, frowning. "It definitely doesn't seem like nothing."

"I assure you, Alice, it's nothing to be worried about!"

There was that look, the look Alice used whenever she was angry or disappointed with something...or someone.

"Tonio," she said, "we've been dating for two years now. I've always been honest with you, and up until now, you've always been honest with me." She crossed her arms expectantly. "Even before we started dating, we've been honest with one another as friends. Please, tell me what's going on. You can tell me; I won't judge."

Tonio blinked at Alice, realizing she was right. Then, he sighed heavily, knowing he couldn't lie his way out of this and that he was backed into a corner.

"I..." He hesitated, prompting Alice to raise an eyebrow.

"You what?" she asked.

"I...I had a nightmare," he replied.

Alice blinked briefly, puzzled, then cracked a smile. "Really? _That's_ what you wanted to hide from me? Tonio, it's just a nightmare. Everyone has nightmares-"

"But only one other person had a nightmare like mine," interrupted a serious Tonio. "My great-grandfather Godey."

Again, a puzzled Alice blinked. Then, her eyes widened as she remembered.

"You...You had a vision of the _future_?" When Godey nodded, she continued, "What did you see?"

"I barely remember anything about it. Just bits and pieces..."

"Well then, what are those bits and pieces that you remember?"

Tonio's eyes narrowed as he struggled to remember. "You..."

Alice gestured to herself. "Me?"

"Yeah. I think...you're in some kind of danger." Alice's eyes widened slightly at that, but he didn't notice. "And...do you remember Ash, Dawn, and Brock?"

"Yes, I do. What about them?"

"I think..." Tonio shuddered slightly. "I think one of them dies-"

Alice gasped. "Oh, no! Do you think we should call them?! Brock mentioned to me he was once a Gym Leader! I can track him down and-"

"What good would it do?" interrupted Tonio. "I had a vision of one of them _dying_ in the future. I don't think that's something we can prevent. And-"

"But they're our friends!"

"And you didn't let me finish." Tonio's eyes narrowed seriously. "I think...one of them will die...at the hands of one of the other two..."

Alice's eyes widened. "Are you saying Ash, Dawn, or Brock will _murder_ their friend?"

Tonio shuddered at the thought. "I'm afraid so."

"I don't believe this..." The blonde woman gazed over the balcony, concern in her eyes. "What...What else do you remember?..."

"Dialga and Palkia... A big flood of some kind... A lot of Pokémon somewhere... Some girl screaming..." His eyes widened in terror. "The Space-Time Towers."

"The Space-Time Towers?" repeated Alice. "You saw them in your nightmare?"

"Yes. I don't know what happens to it, but I know it's something bad." He looked at the twin towers in concern. "We should get there."

"Get there? Why? What good would that do?"

"I don't know, Alice. Maybe we could do something to stop whatever's gonna happen to them."

"Do something to stop it?" Alice approached her boyfriend, looking concerned. "Tonio, how are we gonna do that if you foretold all of this? They're _future events_-"

"Well, that doesn't mean we can do something about it!" interrupted Tonio loudly, startling the woman. "We _have_ to do something about this, Alice! Please, just trust me!"

Alice stared back at her boyfriend, looking reluctant to go along with his plan of action. After spending a few minutes being completely silent, her sapphire-blue eyes glimmered, and she nodded once in affirmation, though the gesture looked apprehensive. However, Tonio didn't seem to notice. Instead, he grinned, hugged her briefly as thanks, and took her hand as he led her through the garden, towards the Space-Time Towers.

They never noticed the dark shadow following them, several feet away.

* * *

**The Space-Time Towers**

A disguised Saturn silently looked up at the mural of the small, blonde young girl sitting atop the branch of a small tree, playing the leaf whistle. The moment he first looked at it, he couldn't help but notice the many Pokémon and their counterparts sitting on either side of the girl, listening to her play the makeshift instrument.

Solrock and Lunatone.

Dustox and Beautifly.

Gallade and Gardevoir.

Volbeat and Illumise.

Zangoose and Seviper.

Electivire and Magmortar.

Plusle and Minum.

Wormadam and Mothim.

Glaceon and Leafeon.

West Sea Gastrodon and East Sea Gastrodon.

All of them were polar opposites of each other, and yet, there they were, listening to the girl in peace and harmony, without any hatred against each other.

Complete coexistence.

If those Pokémon could get along because they were under one goal (listening to the girl play the leaf whistle), then why couldn't the organizations making up the Syndicate do the exact same thing? Now that Saturn was looking upon this magnificent mural, it made a lot of sense to him. Not that he approved of following the orders given to him from the Syndicate higher-ups, but even the blue-haired Team Galactic Commander could see the discontent among the individual organizations and question the fabric of this alliance formed by well intentions.

He turned his head to his left for an inch, and he could see Team Aqua Leader Archie standing several feet away from him, wearing a disguise of his own. He was pretending to answer a text message on his cellphone. Nearby were two Team Aqua grunts, who were pretending to be a young couple touring the interior, gazing at every single nook and cranny with awe. Though they weren't in his range of sight, Saturn knew the other members of the squad he was in were also inside the Space-Time Towers with him, either disguised or carrying out the first phase of their mission.

A loud alarm suddenly rung across the interior with an eerie tone, catching everyone's attention. The tour guides immediately realized what was going on and began to usher the tourists towards the nearest emergency exits. Saturn, Archie, and the rest of their group initially blended in with the evacuees, but as soon as they made sure the tour guides left the building as well, they broke away from the group and convened before the mural.

"Is everyone ready?" Archie asked as he began removing his disguise.

"What does it look like?" spat a Team Magma grunt in response. Saturn observed Archie's face turn a light shade of red for a moment before the Team Aqua Leader composed himself and ignored the reply.

"So, how tall are those staircases to the music room again?" asked Jupiter as she fully removed her disguise, revealing her Team Galactic uniform underneath.

"About 450 feet," a Team Plasma grunt replied.

"Well isn't that great?" a Team Aqua grunt snarled sarcastically.

Moments later, the group was joined by Maxie, Tabitha, and three Team Magma grunts, who all had their Fire-type Pokémon out.

"The distraction's been set, just as planned," Maxie announced.

"Well, isn't that great?" replied Archie as he crossed his arms. "Team Magma did something great for once!"

Maxie glared at Archie. "Excuse me, _Archie_?"

The Team Aqua Leader gave a comically oblivious look. "Hm?"

"Now, now," a Team Plasma grunt piped, "let's not argue. It'll get in the way of our mission-"

"You heard me, Archie," Maxie interrupted, ignoring the grunt's attempt at keeping the peace. "Don't play dumb."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it," replied Archie, sneering mockingly.

A vein popped out of Maxie's forehead, and his eyelid twitched twice. His Camerupt stepped forward and snorted menacingly at Archie in defense of its Trainer, while all of the Team Magma grunts instinctively stepped beside or behind their leader. However, Archie wasn't daunted by the display, and his sneer instead widened.

"Oh, you think your boy band is going to scare me, Maxie?! How _amusing_!"

"Uh, Maxie, Archie," Jupiter interjected, "if you two don't mind-"

However, the two Leaders ignored her.

"I do not appreciate your tone, Archie," Maxie growled.

"Oh, why should you?!" exclaimed a giddy Archie as his grunts stood beside him. "After all, you are so stuck high up the ass of your pro-land ideal that you wouldn't be appreciative of anything that goes against it!" He began laughing loudly and boisterously. "How childish of you!" He then glared at Tabitha and the Team Magma grunts. "And you all, you are just as short-minded as your Leader if you believe in 'peace across the lands of Hoenn'. So immature!"

Maxie stomped his foot on the floor. "You DARE insult our motivations?!"

Archie shrugged dismissively. "Maybe, maybe not." He then closed one eyelid, tilted his head slightly, and coolly stared at Team Magma with his open eye. "I will say this, though: expanding landmasses to ensure humanity's continued evolution sounds like a pretty convoluted, far-fetched, stupid way to go about it-"

At this point, Maxie snapped.

**"CAMERUPT!"**

Camerupt roared furiously and fired a burst of fire towards Archie and Team Aqua. However, the fire was quickly extinguished by several Water-type attacks. As soon as the steam cleared, Water-type Pokémon were standing before Team Aqua, facing down Team Magma and their Fire-type Pokémon. The two criminal organizations were staring one another down, waiting for the other to make their next move. Archie stood his ground, calm and grinning mockingly at Maxie, who looked utterly beside himself; his fists were clenched, his teeth were gritted, and his eyes were alive with an unforeseen flame.

It was silent for several minutes. At first, it seemed as if no one was going to move for hours or even days on end.

Then, a Team Magma grunt abruptly moved his arm slightly. It would never be known if he intended to point at Team Aqua and order an attack, or if he raised it to do something else with it. What is known is that the movement didn't go unnoticed by Team Aqua.

"Feraligatr," a Team Aqua grunt ordered, "Hydro Pump!"

The Big Jaw Pokémon growled and prepared to fire the attack.

"Houndoom," shouted another Team Magma grunt, "stop Feraligatr with Crunch!"

The Dark Pokémon dashed forward, its fangs glowing with energy.

More orders were shouted from Teams Aqua and Magma. However, before any of these attacks could meet...

"Toxicroak, Dark Pulse!" commanded Saturn.

"Skuntank, Hyper Beam!" Jupiter shouted.

Those two attacks, joined by several others, flew between the attacks fired by Teams Aqua and Magma, triggering a massive explosion that knocked everyone back.

As Saturn flew through the air, the corner of his eye caught the mural as a crack suddenly appeared, undoubtedly caused by the force of the powerful explosion. This crack snaked down at the middle of the mural, essentially splitting it into two halves. Upon observing this, the Commander could only think of one thing.

_"Oh, the irony..."_

* * *

Outside the Space-Time Towers, Tonio and Alice ran as fast as they could towards its base. However, they found it surrounded by a large crowd of reporters, police officers, and curious onlookers. They tried to make their way through, but everyone was too distracted by the situation that no one could part way for the couple.

"How're we gonna get in, Tonio?!" shouted Alice over the loud cacophony of talking and chatter emanating from the crowd. "It's blocked off!"

Just then, the ground began to tremble, as if a small earthquake was hitting, and everyone screamed. Once the trembling stopped, Tonio and Alice noticed a cloud of dark, thick smoke seeping out of the open doorways leading into its interior. Something definitely happened in there, possibly an explosion.

"Oh, no," Alice moaned as she and the civilians continued to watch the billowing cloud of smoke. "We may be too late..."

"No, it's not too late!" shouted Tonio, grabbing his girlfriend's hand and guiding her away from the crowd.

"Wait, where are we _going_, Tonio?!"

"I live at those towers! I know of every single way into and out of that building! And I know just the place where we can enter without being seen!"

"Wait, hold on a minute, Tonio!"

Alice stopped, prompting Tonio to look back at her. Before he could ask why she stopped, he noticed where her gaze was directed at: the spire of a nearby apartment building, where a familiar Pokémon was perched with thin legs. Tonio's eyes widened in surprise as he identified this Pokémon.

"Da-_Darkrai_?..."

Darkrai then hovered into the air, its thin legs retreating back into its body, and headed towards the Space-Time Towers. Everyone gasped in awe as they watched the Pitch-Black Pokémon fly over their heads. Then, they began to cheer in happiness and support as Darkrai silently disappeared into the cloud of smoke.

"DARKRAI, BE CAREFUL!" called Alice over the cacophony.

"Come on, let's go!" Tonio cried as he resumed guiding her down the cobblestone walkway.

Unbeknownst to them, they passed by someone whose eyes glinted at Alice the moment they focused on her.

* * *

Archie groaned softly, rubbed his face with his palm, and opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a thick, soupy cloud of light-brown smoke. It had barely cleared, and as a result, he couldn't see anything that was a yard away from him. He cursed in his mind, knowing that he wouldn't hear the end of it from Alastair. He didn't mean to cause the mission to go into a downwards spiral, but to pass up an opportunity to insult Maxie was a foreign thought for him.

Then again, he should've known the repercussions would've been like this.

Suddenly, he heard something snort a few inches away from him. His head broke out in a sweat as he turned it a few inches.

Staring him down was Camerupt, its eyes alive with a fiery rage. Beside it was Maxie, who was smirking down at him triumphantly.

"Well, well, well," the Team Magma Leader said tauntingly. "Look who has the upper hand..."

"Skuntank, Iron Tail!" a voice commanded through the smoke.

Before Maxie could react, the Skuntank burst from the smoke and struck Camerupt in the side with its glowing tail. Though it was barely affected by the Steel-type move, Camerupt was still forced back, away from Archie. Maxie growled and joined Camerupt's side just as Jupiter, Saturn, and Toxicroak stepped through the smoke.

"Stand DOWN, Maxie," snapped Saturn. He then glared down at a nervous Archie. "You too, Archie."

Archie nodded meekly, but Maxie refused to cave in.

"He insulted the ideal of Team Magma!" he roared. "It cannot go unpunished, I tell you!"

"We understand your anger, Maxie," Jupiter replied, "but you mustn't lash out like this, _especially_ during an important mission like this!"

"No, you do NOT understand! How would YOU feel if your ideal was spat upon, Galactic?!"

"Likely not friendly. However, you must remember that your ideal will be reached once the Syndicate asserts its dominance upon the world. As will our ideal, and Team Aqua's ideal. _Everyone_ will have a share of the powers the Syndicate strives for, only if we cooperate, not turn on each other because of mere childish insults!"

"She is right," Saturn added. "This mission is already compromised now." He scanned the room as the other members of their group stood up, recovering from the explosion. "We must do all that we can to retrieve the item, otherwise make a tactical retreat." He then looked down at Archie and offered his hand. "Come on."

Archie eyed Saturn's hand and reluctantly took it, allowing the Team Galactic Commander to lift him to his feet.

"Thank you..." he said.

"Think nothing of it," replied Saturn before glancing at the others. "We must move!"

"NO!" a voice roared, followed by a Fire Blast that struck the ceiling. Maxie was panted, looking almost insane. "**NO!** I WILL NOT STAND FOR ARCHIE GETTING AWAY WITH INSULTING THE LIKES OF TEAM MAGMA!"

"Maxie..." Jupiter said in warning as her Skuntank prepared itself for battle. "Maxie, stand down..."

"NEVER! NOT UNTIL I GET EVEN WITH ARCHIE! CAMERUPT, FIRE BLAST AGAIN!"

Camerupt fired the attack at Archie's direction.

"Toxicroak," Saturn cried, "intercept the Fire Blast with Rock Smash!"

Toxicroak punched through the Fire Blast with its glowing fist, which absorbed the attack's power and caused it to dissipate.

"YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT!" Maxie roared. "CAMERUPT, FIRE BLAST, ONCE MORE!"

Camerupt fired the attack again, and Toxicroak didn't have enough time to dodge it. Within seconds, the Toxic Mouth Pokémon was sent flying across the air and smashed hard into a nearby supporting pillar, so hard that the cracks wouldn't stop spreading across its structure.

"Insolent fool!" cried Jupiter furiously. "Skuntank, use Hyper Beam!"

The Skunk Pokémon nodded and fired a Hyper Beam at Camerupt's direction. However, that attack was intercepted by a Flamethrower, triggering a small but fiery explosion. As soon as the smoke cleared, Maxie's sides were joined by his Team Magma grunts and their Pokémon.

"You attack our Leader," one grunt snarled, "you attack all of us!"

"You can't possibly be serious!" a Team Plasma grunt shouted. "We have a mission to do!"

"We have a score to settle first," growled another Team Magma grunt, accompanied by a bark from her faithful Houndoom.

"CRAWDAUNT, SCALD!" a voice commanded loudly.

A stream of boiling-hot water shot through the smoke and struck a few of Team Magma's Pokémon, including Camerupt. Two such Pokémon, a Typhlosion and a Magmortar, received most of the attack. They roared in pain and clutched their eyes, having been blinded by it. Before their Trainers could stop them, they began firing off multiple attacks, hitting everything in sight and forcing several grunts to take cover. The chaos stopped after a couple of minutes when the grunts recalled their Pokémon back into their Poké Balls.

Tabitha growled angrily and stared down the direction from which the Scald came from. His eyes narrowed as soon as he identified the new attacker.

"Why you-" he began.

"I must say," the female Team Plasma grunt interrupted, "I'm not surprised things went down the drain so fast..."

Tabitha's eyes widened, for he recognized the voice. "She-_Shelly_?"

The grunt's grin widened, and she tore off her uniform, revealing a Team Aqua uniform underneath. Tabitha gritted his teeth.

"Shelly, you slippery little-"

"Oh, what's wrong, Tabitha?" interrupted Shelly, while her Crawdaunt stepped out from the cover of remaining smoke and snapped its pincers threateningly. "You mad? HA! You, your Leader, and all of Team Magma are being childish right now! Do you really think you could have your way with the likes of Team Aqua?!"

"SHELLY!" Archie snapped, looking extremely surprised. "WHAT IN KYOGRE'S NAME ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

"I believe you were told to remain at Headquarters, Team Aqua Admin Shelly," added Jupiter, her eyes narrowed in bitter anticipation.

"Well," Shelly replied, smirking at Maxie and Tabitha, "I _was_ going to obey those orders, but upon finding out Team Magma was going to be participating in this little mission alongside Team Aqua, I couldn't resist. As such, I disguised myself as one of those Team Plasma wannabes."

"Always one for disguises, aren't ya?" Maxie asked, his eyelid twitching in dissatisfaction.

"Of course." The Team Aqua Admin crossed her arms proudly. "And it looks like I fooled you all again."

"Do you seek a death wish?!" Saturn snapped. "You disobeyed a direct order from the Benefactor-"

"Benefactor, Schmenefactor. I had to do it, shiny dude. After all, Team Magma _is_ known for its members' unnecessarily fiery and stubborn attitudes. I predicted the worst coming out of this 'teamwork', and it looks like I was right."

"But you have made things worse with your intervention!"

"Yes," another Team Plasma grunt growled in support, "and..." His eyes narrowed, as did those of his colleagues. "Who in the world do you think you ARE, calling Team Plasma wannabes?!"

"YEAH?!" a couple of other Team Plasma grunts shouted.

"Well, no offense," replied Shelly, "but...conquering regions by hypnotizing random Pokémon? That doesn't sound very original to me..."

"It wasn't just that, wench!" roared one Team Plasma grunt. Seconds later, she was knocked to the ground by a Bubble Beam.

"Insult me again, and you will face more than just that. So come on, hit me again with your words!"

"ENOUGH!" Jupiter roared, and her Skuntank fired a Hyper Beam into the ceiling. This caused the entire chamber to tremble, and therefore, everyone was silenced. "YOU ARE ALL RUINING THIS MISSION, AND FOR WHAT?! TO MAINTAIN YOUR HONOR AS MEMBERS OF YOUR ORGANIZATIONS?! I HAVE **NEVER** SEEN SUCH FOLLY BEFORE IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!"

"They started it!" Tabitha growled, pointing at Team Aqua.

"But your Leader didn't have to be a foolish little child and overreact," replied a smirking Shelly.

"HOW DARE YOU INSULT LEADER MAXIE!" Then, the Team Magma Admin grinned maliciously. "_Your_ Leader isn't all that better. In fact, he's worse, if he believes that drowning the lands in water and taking away the homes of innocent land-based people and Pokémon equates to peace across Hoenn!"

"Better than _your_ Leader's deluded belief that giving people and Pokémon a slow and painful death will lead to humanity's evolution!"

"WHY YOU LITTLE!" Maxie screeched. He then looked at his Camerupt as it recovered from the Scald attack. "CAMERUPT! FLAME BURST!"

The Eruption Pokémon roared and prepared to fire the attack...

A Dark Pulse hit Camerupt, sending it flying into the wall. Maxie gasped and looked around.

"What in blazes?!"

"Wh-What?!" exclaimed Jupiter. "Whe-Where'd that attack _come_ from?!"

Then, several dark spheres flew across the air, hitting whatever human or Pokémon was in its way and causing them to fall asleep. Saturn, Jupiter, Archie, and Maxie barely dodged such spheres, although Tabitha wasn't as lucky; his heavy body prevented him from making a run for it and he was hit by a stray sphere. Maxie ran up to his Admin's fallen form and noticed that he was moaning in fear and tossing and turning. Growling, the Team Magma Leader looked around frantically.

"WHERE _ARE_ YOU?!"

He barely dodged another sphere, and as he did so, he identified the new assailant: Darkrai.

**_"GO AWAY!"_** it roared with all of its might as a dark sphere appeared between its two hands.

* * *

Elsewhere in the Space-Time Towers, a secret trapdoor opened up, revealing Tonio and Alice. Alice coughed and used her hand to fan the air as she climbed out of the previously unknown compartment. Tonio followed behind her, nearly tripping on a block of cobblestone sticking up from the doorway as he did so.

"Wow," Alice remarked as she looked around, surveying the room they were in. "I never knew you could enter the Space-Time Towers through here."

"Seems like Godey wanted a lot more entrances and exits than what the public would expect," replied Tonio as he dusted his shirt. "Sometimes I wonder exactly what kind of expectations he held for the Space-Time Towers..."

Just then, there was a booming noise that sounded in the distance, emanating from the upper floor. This was followed seconds later by severe trembling, so severe, in fact, that dust fell from the ceiling and a nearby pot fell off from the table it was situated on. Tonio and Alice looked up at the ceiling, immediately realizing that Darkrai was battling someone (or some_thing_) up there.

"Darkrai..." Alice whispered in concern.

"Come on, Alice!" exclaimed Tonio. "We have to keep moving! Maybe we can help Darkrai!"

"Help _that_ thing?" a drawling voice asked.

Tonio and Alice gasped as they looked at the still-open trapdoor. Stepping out from the secret passageway, dusting his clothes carefully as if they were precious and delicate, all the while wearing an annoyingly smug expression, was the last person they wanted to see.

"Alberto!" exclaimed Alice. "What-What're _you_ doing here?!"

"What does it look like?" replied Baron Alberto, shrugging dismissively. "I'm here to ensure my future wife is safe and sound. Speaking of which..." He shot Tonio a nasty glare, which the scientist gladly returned. "You are once again associating yourself with this _loser_. How many times do I have to tell you that it's not good for your health, Alice?"

Alice's eyes narrowed. "He's not a loser, Alberto. And how many times do I have to tell you that Tonio's my boyfriend and that you need to leave me alone?"

"Please, darling, I know you're still shocked by my proposal, but really, I don't see the benefit of your relationship with this man. But I will spare you the lecture for another time. I believe this entire area was blocked off by the police, and for good reason. As a loyal, dedicated citizen of Alamos Town, I must take you two out of here before the danger escalates. So please, come with me-"

"I'm afraid we can't do that, Alberto," interrupted Tonio.

Alberto's eyes narrowed menacingly at the scientist. "And why not, Gaudí?"

"Darkrai's in there, and it probably needs our help!" Alice replied for her boyfriend. "So if you don't mind, we need to get to the upper floor-"

"Oh, Alice, Alice, Alice..." The wealthy man shook his head in disapproval. "The unhealthy relationships you allow yourself to indulge in. I honestly cannot believe that _you_ of all people would believe Darkrai is a _hero_ to the town!"

"Darkrai _is_ a hero, Alberto. If it weren't for its actions, we'd all be dead, or worse."

"Heh. The pest is just an attention-seeker who cares for nothing but itself."

"No, it _does_ care for others." Alice's eyes narrowed even further. "But of course you wouldn't know." She then looked at Tonio. "Come on, Tonio!"

Tonio nodded and ran past Alberto with Alice. However, Alberto quickly grabbed the blonde woman's arm and held it in a vice-like grip.

"Agh! Let go of me, Alberto! I need to help Darkrai!"

"How could you view that pest of a Darkrai as your _friend_? It's nothing more than a menace to Alamos Town! You need to open your eyes to that-"

"No, _you_ need to open your eyes to the truth." She stared down the wealthy man with her blue eyes, which were alive with rage. "Now. Let. Go. Of. Me."

"I'm not letting my future wife run into danger like this- OOF!"

Alberto collapsed to the floor in a rain of glass shards, unconscious. Alice's eyes widened; at first, she didn't know what exactly happened. Then, she looked up at Tonio, who was clutching the pot that had fallen over on the nearby table, now broken thanks to its makeshift use.

"T-To-_Tonio_..." she said, shocked.

"Wow..." Tonio whispered, looking absolutely surprised from his actions. "I've... I've always _wanted_ to do that- OMPH!"

Alice had just kissed him quick and hard on the lips.

"Come on!" she cried as she half-led, half-dragged Tonio, who was now relishing in the kiss he received.

* * *

Outside the Space-Time Towers, two news helicopters were circling the structure, cameramen recording live footage from the sides while reporters continued making detailed commentary on the ongoing event. Down at the ground, there was still a large crowd gathered at the police barricade, watching the twin towers and taking photos with their cameras or phones whenever possible. However, at first, nothing of interest was happening.

Then, a large explosion blew out a hole into the Time Tower, startling everyone.

* * *

Darkrai barely dodged the collapsing pendulums of the Time Tower as Skuntank tried to hit the Pitch-Black Pokémon with an Iron Tail. However, Darkrai was much quicker, avoiding the attack and using Dark Pulse to force the Skunk Pokémon backward. Then, seconds later, it turned around and fired a Dark Void sphere at the incoming Houndoom, which was trying to use Crunch on it. The sphere engulfed the Dark Pokémon and put it into a nightmare-filled sleep.

Another few seconds later, Darkrai was struck unexpectedly. However, it was not from an attack, but the lone pendulum that was still attached and still swinging. The Bisharp took advantage of Darkrai's state to attack it with a Night Slash move, further weakening it.

The Pitch-Black Pokémon groaned and flew away from Bisharp, firing Dark Void spheres indiscriminately as it did so. However, it was ambushed by Maxie's Camerupt, which fired a Flame Burst at it. Though the attack missed, Darkrai was still too stunned to notice the attacking Bisharp, which landed a hit with Metal Claw.

Darkrai cried in pain as it collapsed to the floor, directly in front of the Syndicate mission squad. Jupiter smirked as she and Skuntank approached its fallen form.

"So much for the protector of Alamos Town," she said tauntingly. She then turned to Saturn. "Do we have orders to capture this Darkrai?"

"Not to my knowledge," her fellow Commander replied.

"Well, then..." Jupiter procured a strange Poké Ball from her pocket. "I suggest we capture it as a little, well, extra credit of sorts for the Benefactor. After what _some people_ did to jeopardize the mission-" The members of Teams Aqua, Magma, and Plasma became fidgety and some even blushed in embarrassment at this. "-I think such incentive is in proper order, don't you think?"

Everyone else nodded or murmured in agreement, while Archie replied, "Yeah, that sounds good..."

"Good." Jupiter's grin widened as she threw the Poké Ball. "Syndicate Ball, GO!"

"MONFERNO, STOP THAT THING WITH MACH PUNCH!" a voice commanded. "HELP OUT DARKRAI!"

A flash of light burst onto the fray, clearing to reveal a Monferno. Growling, the Playful Pokémon leaped into the air and punched the Syndicate Ball with a glowing fist of energy before it could reach Darkrai, reducing the Poké Ball-like device to a hundred tiny pieces. Jupiter gasped in horror as the Monferno then landed in front of Monferno and stretched its arms out in a protective stance, staring her down threateningly.

"Who in the world?..." Jupiter snarled, just before Alice and Tonio joined Monferno's sides.

"YOU GET AWAY FROM DARKRAI RIGHT NOW!" shouted Alice at the top of her lungs.

The purple-haired Commander sneered. "And if we don't? I must say, it's quite an excellent fighter. It'll be of good use to the Syndicate-"

"The only good use Darkrai will ever be to is the people of Alamos Town!"

Jupiter's sneer widened slightly. "You're very amusing. But unfortunately, this resistance of yours will not last. Can't you see how many of us there are?" She gestured to the rest of her team, who were closing in on Alice, Tonio, Darkrai, and Monferno with their Pokémon. "In five minutes, you will all be on your knees, begging us to spare you." She then shrugged. "Unfortunately, I will have to say in advance that the Benefactor is not that lenient to anyone who tries to interfere with our affairs, even if they surrender in the end."

"Benefactor?" Tonio asked, confused. Then, his eyes widened in shock. "Benefactor!"

"Tonio?" Alice looked at her boyfriend, confused. "Tonio, is something wrong? What do you mean 'Benefactor'?"

"That name! I heard it! In-In my dream!" The scientist's eyes widened even further in horror as a realization hit him, and before he knew it, he shouted, "He's gonna capture Arceus!"

Silence fell upon the chamber as Tonio realized what he had done. Glancing at the Syndicate grunts, he began sweating at their shocked expressions.

"Capture _Arceus_...you say..." Jupiter said. "And you say you saw this in a dream?" Tonio didn't answer, but this only confirmed her suspicions. "What else did you see in this dream of yours?..."

In response, the Syndicate's Pokémon advanced closer towards Tonio and Alice, their gazes all fixed on the former. The scientist began to sweat even more, and Alice thrust her arms out in front of him defensively.

"You leave him alone!" she shouted.

"Well then, I guess you leave us no choice. Skuntank-"

She was cut off by a Dark Pulse that hit her Skunk Pokémon and sent it flying into a wall, knocking it out. Before anyone could question what happened, everyone watched as Darkrai levitated into the air, having recovered from its wounds. Its single blue eye was shining brightly like never before.

**"Leave them _ALONE_!"** roared Darkrai as it fired more Dark Void spheres, successfully hitting several grunts and their Pokémon.

Growling angrily as he dodged a Dark Void sphere, Maxie pointed at Darkrai and ordered, "USE FIRE BLAST, CAMERUPT!"

"Monferno, use Flame Wheel!" cried Alice, pointing at Camerupt.

Monferno immediately turned into a flaming wheel and sped towards Camerupt as it fired its Fire Blast. However, the attack didn't affect the Playful Pokémon, and it sped even faster towards Camerupt. Before it had time to react, it was hit by Monferno's attack and knocked to the ground.

"Finish it off with Mach Punch, Monferno!" Alice continued.

The Playful Pokémon nodded and punched Camerupt once in the face with its glowing fist with brutal force and accuracy. Though critically injured, the Eruption Pokémon refused to lose consciousness.

"Again, Monferno!"

Monferno prepared to repeat its assault, but before it could throw the finishing punch, a blur of teal, black, and red slammed into the Playful Pokémon. Pinned down to the ground, Monferno looked up into the face of Toxicroak, who had recovered from Darkrai's earlier attack on it.

"Finish it with Poison Jab, Toxicroak," Saturn's voice ordered from a distance.

"MONFERNO!" cried Alice.

Toxicroak raised its fist as its claw glowed purple with energy. However, before it could throw the punch, Darkrai appeared and shot a bolt of blue electricity at it. The attack hit Toxicroak and electrocuted it for several seconds. Once the electricity subsided, Toxicroak found itself unable to make complex movements, having been mostly paralyzed by the attack. This gave Monferno the perfect opportunity to punch the Toxic Mouth Pokémon under the chin using Mach Punch, sending it flying into the air. Darkrai then fired a Dark Void sphere while Toxicroak was in midair, successfully hitting it and putting it to sleep.

"TOXICROAK, NO!" Saturn roared, outraged.

"Let me handle this," snarled Maxie. "CAMERUPT!"

Camerupt prepared to fire an attack when a Crobat suddenly appeared and began tackling Darkrai multiple times. Recognizing the Pokémon, Maxie growled angrily.

"ARCHIE! That was MINE to attack!"

"Oh, my bad, Maxie," Archie replied sarcastically. "I believe I saw it first."

Before the Team Magma Leader could respond, a cry was heard, and both Leaders watched as Darkrai knocked Crobat away with its Dark Pulse. Maxie sneered.

"Looks like _I'll_ have to take over. Camerupt, use Flame Burst!"

Camerupt snorted and fired the attack at Darkrai, but it missed, instead hitting a supporting pillar. Crobat then flew towards Darkrai and tried to strike it again, but the Pitch-Black Pokémon easily dodged it and the Bat Pokémon ran into another supporting pillar.

"AMATEURS!" Saturn screamed as he threw another Poké Ball. "Bronzor, use Gyro Ball!"

The Bronze Pokémon emerged from the device and fired the Steel-type move at Darkrai, but it dodged that attack as well and yet another supporting pillar was hit. Camerupt, Crobat, and any other Pokémon remaining in the Syndicate's ranks joined Bronzor as they indiscriminately fired attacks at Darkrai and Monferno, only to miss and strike something else, including the supporting pillars of Time Tower. The same applied to Darkrai and Monferno as they retaliated with unsuccessful moves of their own. Within minutes, a deafening groan sounded across the interior as debris fell from above, cutting the battle short.

"What?!" exclaimed Jupiter as the ground began to tremble softly. "What-What's going on? What's going on?!"

"You tell me!" Archie growled as he jumped out of the way of a falling block of concrete.

Upon spotting the damaged supporting pillars, Tonio's eyes widened in horror.

"No..." he moaned. "No, no, no... NO!"

"What's going on, Tonio?!" asked Alice as she held onto his arm. "What's happening?!"

"The battle, it...it damaged the supporting pillars of the Time Tower!" The scientist's skin turned pale. "The Time Tower could collapse at any moment!"

"WHAT?!" exclaimed all conscious Syndicate grunts.

"No, wait..." Tonio looked down at the floor in guilt. "It...It _will_ collapse... This is what I foresaw...all along..."

To confirm his theory, one of the supporting pillars partially imploded, spraying the scene with blocks and pebbles of concrete. Dust was filling the chamber.

* * *

Outside the Space-Time Towers, everyone watched as smoke essentially obscured the base of the Time Tower. However, at certain angles, people distinguished the many holes riddling the walls.

Then, the air became filled with an earsplitting moan. Everyone screamed and covered their ears, minutes before a part of the Time Tower collapsed, and the entire tower seemed to shift slightly in position. Realizing what was happening, police officers began ordering the massive crowd of onlookers to evacuate, and the citizens didn't need to be told twice.

As for the news helicopters, they kept their distance from the twin towers, but continued observing.

* * *

Within minutes, the trembling in the chamber increased, and more debris began to fall.

"CRAP!" Jupiter roared as she kicked a small block of concrete. "CRAP, CRAP, **CRAP**! NOW WE'LL NEVER RETRIEVE THE ITEM!" She then pointed at Archie and Maxie accusingly. "AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOUR ARCEUS-DAMN SHENANIGANS! YOU AND YOUR TEAMS AQUA AND MAGMA! CAN'T YOU TWO EVER GET **ALONG**?!"

"I think they could," a voice piped.

Everyone gasped in surprise and turned to a balcony, where they saw...

"ALASTAIR!" shouted Saturn. "YOU'RE-"

"Here to save the day, yes, yes, hooray," the Syndicate lieutenant interrupted sarcastically.

**"GO AWAY!"** Darkrai roared as it hovered towards Alastair, a Dark Void sphere ready.

However, Alastair smirked and threw a Poké Ball, unleashing a Klinklang.

"Klinklang, Mirror Shot," he ordered casually.

The Gear Pokémon nodded and fired a green beam, but Darkrai was able to dodge it. Then, it was about to fire the Dark Void sphere at Alastair...

"Lickilicky, use Wrap!" a voice commanded.

A brutish voice clumsily roared out, followed seconds later by a long, frog-like tongue, which automatically wrapped itself around a confused Darkrai.

"What the?!" Alice cried. She then followed the direction of the tongue and gasped upon identifying the newcomer. "ALBERTO!"

"I'm here to save you, my beloved future wife!" called Alberto heroically, his lips curving into a charming smile that sickened Alice to the core.

"_Okay_..." Alastair said, confused at the new turn of events. Then, he pointed at Darkrai. "Again, Klinklang! Mirror Shot, while Darkrai's incapacitated!"

The Gear Pokémon fired a second beam, which hit Darkrai before it could attack, critically wounding it. Lickilicky then retracted its tongue, releasing the Pitch-Black Pokémon in the process.

"DARKRAI!" Alice screamed as Darkrai fell to the floor. "DARKRAI, NO!"

Alastair watched without emotion as Alice, Tonio, and Monferno ran up to the fallen Pitch-Black Pokémon as fast as they could. Then, he glared at the Syndicate team, and the frown on his face was genuine.

"I am _very_ disappointed with you all," he said. "You were all given a simple mission: to obtain the Oración music disc. No more, no less. Well, I guess capturing Darkrai would've been nice extra credit to the Benefactor."

Jupiter blushed in embarrassment at the last sentence. "Alastair," she said, "the fault lies with Teams-"

"I do not care whose fault it is. What matters is that you have all failed, all because you cannot get along. Teamwork is absolutely essential to the Syndicate's goal of world domination. The Benefactor didn't decided to put all of your organizations together in a team for nothing, you know." His eyes narrowed darkly. "And worse, by refusing to cooperate with each other, you have greatly damaged this tower in the process." He scanned the damaged supporting pillars. "It could actually collapse at any moment. You could all die."

"You mean _we_ could all die!" snapped Archie. "You're in here with us!"

"Yes!" Maxie added in agreement. "And speaking of which, what in Arceus's name _are_ you doing here, Alastair?! There was nothing about the Arceus-damn mission that involved you stepping in midway!"

Alastair's lips curved into a satisfied grin. "To be honest," he replied, "the Benefactor was _expecting_ all of you to fail this way. So, he sent me here to give you guys a speech of encouragement." He then chuckled. "Kinda like how a coach motivates his sports team, I gotta say."

"Yeah, well, it honestly would've helped if you stepped in way before _those two_ got at each other's throats, damn it!" Jupiter growled, pointing at Archie and Maxie. "Now we're all here, and the tower above us is about to collapse at any. Damn. _Moment_! We couldn't even retrieve the item just as the objective dictated!"

Alastair's grin widened as he lifted his right hand for everyone to see. He was holding an object, and upon closer inspection, the Syndicate team identified it as a large disc of golden and bronze. Alice and Tonio looked up and, upon spotting this disc, gasped in horror, as did an oblivious Alberto.

"That's-!" began Alice.

"Yes," Alastair interrupted, relishing in the glorious triumph. "This is Oración, the song with the power to soothe the fiercest rage. An essential item for the Syndicate's mission of world conquest." He examined the disc. "And, in the meantime, a personal lullaby."

"You HAD that thing the entire time?!" Saturn growled.

"Of course. We extracted it a couple of weeks ago."

"_EXCUSE_ ME?!" exclaimed an outraged Jupiter.

"You see, my dear Jupiter, this isn't a mission, as much as it is a _test_. A test you grievously failed at."

The entire Syndicate team became humbled and apprehensive at the remark. Some blushed in embarrassment, while others looked away, cursing themselves for being so stupid. Upon seeing this reaction, Alastair chuckled. It was as if he had been told a rather good joke.

"Oh, don't worry. You will not suffer from any repercussions from this."

"YEAH, EXCEPT FOR **DYING**!" roared Archie.

As if on cue, the earsplitting groan emanating from the damaged supporting pillars and the buckling tower multiplied exponentially in loudness, drowning out any other noise that was to be made. Everyone except for Alastair screamed and covered their ears, while Alastair himself grinned even more widely, as if he had been anticipating the entire thing. He snapped his fingers...

* * *

Outside the Space-Time Towers, the news helicopters continued surveying the entire scene as it progressed. At this point, they were joined by more news helicopters and even a couple of police-owned helicopters. Down below, the buildings and walkways of Alamos Town were completely deserted, its citizens having evacuated to the town lying on the other side of the bridge connecting the mesa to the mainland. A gargantuan cloud of thick smoke was billowing on the right side of the Space-Time Towers, completely obscuring it from that angle as they towered even higher than the structure itself.

Inside one news helicopter, the reporter tapped the shoulder of her cameraman, catching his attention.

"Yeah?" the cameraman asked, setting his camera down.

"Are you getting anything interesting?" replied the reporter, her microphone ready.

"What do _you_ see?"

"Well, for starters, a whole lot of nothing-"

"Exactly! Even with the closeups I can get with this damn camera, I haven't recorded anything interesting or important! Just more and more smoke."

"Well, keep on recording!" She shoved the cameraman slightly. "We need to get at least a _minute_ of interesting footage, otherwise Dale's gonna have our heads!"

Before the cameraman could respond, a deafening roar filled the air, forcing everyone to scream and cover their ears. Even the pilots strained to maintain their focus on the controls, lest they wished to crash-land the aerial vehicle and kill everyone aboard.

The cameraman was the first to recover; he quickly grabbed his camera and aimed it at the Space-Time Towers. For a few seconds, he didn't see anything important, including the source of the unusual roar. All he could see was smoke and more smoke.

Then, he saw the unthinkable, and he definitely wasn't the only one who watched it with their own eyes.

"Oh, my Arceus!" cried the reporter, her voice cracking. "It's...It's _collapsing_!"

Indeed, the Time Tower was collapsing like a tree ruthlessly chopped down. The news helicopters watched as it fell over on top of dozens of buildings in Alamos Town.

* * *

**Hilda White and Hilbert Black's Summer Getaway Mansion  
The Seventh District  
Lumiose City, Kalos**

Serena's lower jaw dropped open the moment she watched the Time Tower collapse on live TV.

Hours earlier, Hilda, Clemont, Bonnie, and the others returned from their shopping trip, with their new friend Iris in tow. After getting acquainted (or reacquainted, in Pikachu's case) with the aspiring Dragon Master, Serena and Pikachu found Hilbert watching the news. Before she knew it, she joined him, as did the others. The news report in question revolved around a series of strange explosions at the Space-Time Towers of Alamos Town, explosions whose cause was currently unknown, though foul play was suspected.

Whatever the situation was, it was definitely serious enough to warrant a full-scale evacuation of Alamos Town. Serena could vaguely remember Dawn and Brock remarking they traveled there once before with Ash.

They watched the entire live report as the newest developments came in. And then, before they knew it...they witnessed the Time Tower collapse.

Serena had never seen anything like it...and she wished she still didn't...

Bonnie never stopped crying for the rest of the day.

* * *

**Hotel Richissime  
North Boulevard**

The Dream Team watched in horror as the Time Tower collapsed on their shared TV. As soon as all of Alamos Town disappeared in a massive, billowing cloud of smoke and debris, Looker looked away, grunting in disgust.

"Cause unknown, my ass," Looker snarled. "That was the _Syndicate_..."

"We were too late..." whispered a horrified Solana.

Grunting again, Looker stormed out of the hotel room, but no one bothered to stop him.

* * *

In her room, Cynthia had locked herself away in the bathroom and had been confined there in the minutes following the Time Tower's collapse.

Retching sounds could be heard from inside.

* * *

**M Electronics  
Autumnal Avenue**

Ash was among the large crowd of onlookers who were watching the TV sets situated in front of M Electronics as they broadcast live reports of the situation in Alamos Town. His jaw dropped open in horror as soon as he watched the Time Tower collapse on top of Alamos Town. All around him, some people screamed, others started crying, and even some of the onlookers collapsed to the ground, completely emotionally broken.

"No..." he moaned to himself as he shook his head. "No way... There's just no way that happened..."

A few feet away from him, Diane had collapsed her knees, unable to accept what she had just seen. She buried her face in her palms, now regretting her decision to leave Lysandre Café unsupervised. She really did regret it...

* * *

On the rooftop of M Electronics, Meyer observed the audience standing in front of his store. He was wearing his Mega Blaziken costume, while his Blaziken stood beside him, Mega Evolved. Both were aware of what exactly happened at Alamos Town, and as much as they were disgusted by such an atrocity, they refused to let the horrible event interfere with their mission.

Meyer glanced at his Mega Blaziken, which had its head bowed slightly.

"Let's go, Blaziken," he said. "We've got work to do."

The Blaze Pokémon nodded loyally. "Blaze blaze."

Both jumped away from the rooftop.

* * *

**The local prison**

Floyd, Lloyd, Sid, Cecile, Burke, and the three gangsters peered from outside their cells, secretly watching the same television set the prison guards were all watching nearby. Lloyd immediately burst out in a bout of mad laughter as he watched the Time Tower collapse on the screen, but the guards were too horrified by the sight of the live report to do absolutely anything about it. As for Sid and Cecile, they continued watching, impressed by the mayhem demonstrated before the two of them, while Burke and the three gangsters looked rather apprehensive at seeing it.

As for Floyd, he was the only one of the inmates to look away, grunting in disgust. He knew that if Adam had his way, the Prism Tower would've suffered the _exact_ same fate in the midst of his attempt to get revenge on a certain honey-haired Pokémon Performer...

* * *

**Rouge Plaza**

Ash's mind was in a haze.

He shouldered, pushed, and knocked his way past numerous pedestrians, not bothering to care even if they fell down to the ground because of him. All he wanted to do now was to get as far away from those television sets as he can. He didn't care if he had to leave the safe grounds of Lumiose City again. He just wanted to get away from everyone and everything.

He just wanted to be alone.

"This can't be happening," he moaned. "There's no way something like...like _that_...can happen..."

"Yes, it's possible," a familiar voice replied in a chipper tone.

Ash gasped and looked towards his right. Standing behind him was none other than the same mysterious girl who approached him at his bedside in the PWT Pokémon Center, and then later on at Route 13, directly outside the city.

"Le-_Leaf_?!" he stuttered.

Leaf's smile widened. "You remembered me! Hooray!" She raised her arms and waved them energetically in celebration. "It's so nice to be remembered!"

However, Ash was offended. "How could you be _happy_ at a time like this?! Did you _see_ what's been going on at-"

"Alamos Town?" interrupted Leaf, lowering her arms. Her smile was still in place. "Yep!"

"But you..._you_... You're acting like it's something to be celebrated about! How could you think that way?!"

"No one died, right? Last I checked, all the live reports were saying Alamos Town was completely evacuated. No one should be hurt." Then, she pursed her lips, and her brow furrowed in concentration. "Maybe except for a stray Pokémon or two-"

"That's not something to be celebrating about!" shouted Ash, startling Leaf and anyone else nearby. "Are you crazy or what?!"

Leaf gasped and covered her mouth in shock, looking genuinely offended.

"I'm...I'm not _crazy_..." she replied softly, her eyes shimmering with tears. "That's such a mean thing to say, Ash! ...So mean..."

Ash's eyes widened in shock. "Are...Are you actually _crying_, Leaf?"

To his complete shock, Leaf smiled again, the heartbroken expression vanishing in an instant, as if nothing had happened.

"Nope!" Then, her expression turned serious. "You know, Ash, the world isn't as perfect and flawless as you believe it to be. Things like what you saw on TV, they will happen." She let out a sad sigh. "It's quite a shame, really. To think that humans are capable of doing such atrocities-"

Upon hearing her latest sentence, Ash felt as if someone ran a blade through his heart.

"Wait a minute... That...That wasn't an _accident_?!"

Leaf blinked. "Did you _really_ think something like _that_ could be the product of an _accident_?"

"But... But the news reports said the cause was unknown-"

"Never believe what you read all the time, Ash." Leaf's eyes narrowed slightly. "Besides...I could sense it. It was the work of humans with evil intentions."

Ash's eyes shone slightly with wonder. "How'd you _know_ that?..."

To his dissatisfaction, Leaf winked and stuck out the tip of her tongue from the side of her lips in a teasing expression.

"I'm afraid that's top-secret, Ash," she replied, her chipper tone present in her voice again. "I." She raised her hand. "Can't." She pointed her index finger at Ash's face as she inched it closer to his nose. "Tell." She bumped the tip of her finger against Ash's nose playfully. "You!"

Ash, puzzled and almost enchanted by Leaf's latest action, shook his head to clear his mind.

"Why not?!" he demanded.

"Like I told you!" She turned around and began skipping away into the crowd. "It's top-secret!"

"WAIT!"

Ash sprung forward, hoping to stop Leaf before she could disappear into the crowd, but it was too late for him. However, he refused to give up, and he wandered into the mass of closely situated bodies, trying desperately to look for her and get answers from her. Unfortunately, no matter how hard the raven-haired Trainer tried, it seemed as if he immediately lost sight of her...no, it was as if she _vanished_ as soon as she ventured inside.

But he knew he couldn't give up, still. He could tell Leaf was hiding something from him, something important.

Maybe it could help him as well...

"LEAF!" Ash shouted. "LEAF, WHERE ARE YOU?!"

He twirled around, hoping to catch at least a fleeting glimpse of the girl. Once he did so, however, he bumped into someone.

"Agh!" the person cried. "Watch where you're going, young man!"

"I'm so sorry!" exclaimed Ash, facing the person. "I was looking for someone..."

His voice trailed off as soon as he took in the unknown person's full appearance. He knew this man.

"Lo-_Looker_?"

The International Police agent blinked in surprise. Then, after a few minutes in silence, he cracked a small smile.

"Hello, Ash," he greeted.

"Wha-What're _you_ doing here?" Then, Ash's eyes widened. "Is...Is there a problem here in Lumiose City?"

Looker hesitated for a moment, then replied, "You can say that." He paused again, seemingly thinking about something, before continuing. "It so happens that we've run into a...sticky situation..."

Ash stared on in shock, taking in this newest piece of information.

_"Could...Could this mean...Leaf was right in her assumptions?"_ he thought. _"Is there a new force of evil at play here?..."_

* * *

**Route 13  
A couple of miles away from Lumiose City**

"Great, just great. You just _had_ to pick the long way into Lumiose City, Lane..."

The young man wearing the ridiculously large yellow backpack walked down the trail that was Route 13, with a Poliwag trotting loyally by his side. After several more minutes of walking, the backpacker sighed, reached into his pocket, procured a folded paper, and unfolded it to form a map.

"Just how far _are_ we from Lumiose now?..." he asked himself as he closely examined the map, the Poliwag looking up at him curiously. "How far are we?..."

"Excuse me!" a voice suddenly called.

The man named Lane looked up and spotted a teenage boy running towards him almost frantically.

"May I help you?..." Lane asked in response.

"This route is under some construction!" the boy said. "You should find another route to use!"

"Are you kidding me? I traveled for four days to get to Lumiose City! And it's only for a day's worth of sightseeing before I move on to Dendemille Town! Besides..." He stared further down the trail, which could be seen for another mile. "Doesn't look like there's construction going on..."

"The construction just started," replied the boy quickly.

Lane stepped past the boy, as did Poliwag. "Then I assume the workers won't mind letting me pass. There's barely anything for me to tread on there."

"I'm afraid you're misunderstanding me, mister..."

"Huh?"

Lane and Poliwag turned around, intrigued by the boy's strange tone. They looked into his eyes...and suddenly felt as if...the world all around them was disappearing.

_**"Route 13 is under heavy construction and impassable,"**_ the boy said, his voice speaking from a distance, yet with some sort of undeniable authority. _**"You must find a different route to use to reach Lumiose City."**_

_"Well..."_ thought Lane, feeling slightly woozy, _"he _did _just tell me that..."_

* * *

Calem watched as the backpacker and his Poliwag walked down the direction from which they came. Once they disappeared into the forest, he let out a sigh of relief.

"That was almost close," he said.

**"What are you talking about, Calem? You performed that Hypnosis admirably."**

"Yeah, well, Psychic Aura isn't exactly one of my Affinities, you know..." He then stared down the trail where Lane and Poliwag disappeared. "But at least that problem is now cleared up. Now we don't have to worry about any potential witnesses..."

Calem turned around and examined the opposite end of the trail, his eyes narrowing.

**"So, Calem, shall we begin?"**

"Oh, I believe you already know the answer to that, Xerneas."

* * *

_"It turns out that the nightmare told me just what I needed to do. For the future, I needed to leave **Oración** for the world."_

–Excerpt from the diary of Godey Gaudí

* * *

**Next time on "Judgment's Fall"**

**Looker:** The world is at stake as we know it, and that's all you have to say?!

**Ash:** If I can't become a Pokémon Master, how can I help save the world?

**Leaf:** What an interesting turn of events...

**Unknown #1:** Well _done_, my boy.

**Calem:** If you're asking for a fight, then you've got it!

**Unknown #2:** _Hellooo_, Serena! I'm waiting for an answer!

**The Benefactor:** I believe it is time...

**Chapter 21: Under the Leaf**

* * *

**A/N:** If anyone made it through the entire chapter, then congratulations. You just survived reading the longest chapter I've ever written during the near-four years I spent on this site. I hope it wasn't that bad for you all. At the very least, you can see my efforts to soften the blow as much as possible.

Also, on a side-note, the character of Lane should be familiar to you guys if you read a certain other AmourShipping story of mine. It's an Easter egg! :D

Anyway, lots of stuff happened, mostly at Alamos Town! No doubt this will serve as a turning point to the ever-escalating situation.

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

**Ejennings167:** Look at my profile, and you will learn, grasshopper. *bows*

**Gyga (guest reviewer):**

**1)** Hmmm, maybe, maybe not...

**2)** I'm glad you liked the way I treated that scenario! I'm well aware of the whole 'betrayed Ash' genre and read a couple such stories, but they're always pretty quick in screwing Ash over. As such, I thought I'd put an interesting spin to the whole thing.

**3)** Not sure yet, but if so, then Sawyer will be meeting our heroes for the first time in this story. Now that I have my bearings on this project, I will confidently say that it canonically takes place between the episodes "The Future Is Now, Thanks to Determination!" and "A Fork in the Road! A Parting of the Ways!", but in an AU where Clemont didn't leave the group after the former episode (that part surprised me at the last moment and I can no longer write my way out of that now).

**xxxSMDxxx:**

**1)** You'll learn more about Calem as we get along. He certainly went through something all right, though...

**2)** Oh, believe me, Leaf's real, but she's got some skeletons in her closet... ;) ;) ;)

**DodgingKing:**

**1)** I'm glad you love this story for what it is! Yes, a lot of AmourShipping stories I read do force the pairing or pair Ash and Serena up way too quickly/conveniently. It is actually what turned me off with FanaticLAguy06's stories (no real offense to him).

**2)** Glad you like Hilbert and Hilda's inclusions in the story! I feel like they should've at least deserved cameos in the actual anime, since they're interesting characters.

**3)** I'm not bothered by the amount of buzz the story's generating. The fact that this story has over 230 reviews with only 22 chapters tells me what I need to know about the story's success.

**4)** Well, I'm trying on the grammar, even if the errors are minor. I probably miss them in the heat of the writing moment.

**ChE clarinetist:**

**1)** Hooray for correct assumptions! :D As for Leaf, well, there are _pretty_ interesting things in store for her... ;)

**2)** At least I know how in-character I made her. But don't worry, hopefully her role in this story will her over for you.

**3)** Nope! Everything was exactly as how you initially thought of it! And was it a disaster! (I just hope it didn't strike any bad vibes for anyone in real life...)

**4)** Aaannnddd I put a cliffhanger there. Am I amazing or what? :P

**5)** Well then, we shall see how much your theory holds up...

**trublsmbob (guest reviewer):** Yeah, he's a teenager in this story. I know I didn't put up an age chart for the characters, but there are honestly too many to list, so I decided not to bother. To confirm it for everyone, yes, most of the main characters (i.e. Ash, Serena, Clemont, Misty, Brock, the like) are teenagers or young adults. Oh, and yes, at this point, I'm going to update this every two weeks now. You're right, I'm overworking myself with one week. Thanks for suggesting it! :D

Well, hope you enjoyed this monstrously long chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	23. Under the Leaf

**A/N:** My apologies for the lateness of this chapter. Goddamn school's getting in the way, curse it!

Now, before I begin this chapter, I realized as of this chapter that I actually forgot about a few characters I previously featured in Act I. These characters happen to be Miette, Lucas, Jimmy, and Vincent. So, just in case you were wondering about them (or have forgotten about them), they're still here, in this story, still with the important roles I have planned for them. And we'll be seeing a triumphant return by them soon enough in this act. In fact, Miette should be making her appearance here, so rejoice at this fact! ...I guess...

Also, a little history lesson, for those of you who are unaware. September 24 happens to be the anniversary of Clark Clifford and George Elsey, military advisers to President Harry S. Truman, presenting him with a top-secret report on the Soviet Union during the Cold War. This report introduces what would later be known as the containment policy. Once again, another intentional posting date that connects with some of my story's themes!

Okay, enough chitchat! Onward with the chapter. ENJOY!

**P.S.:** Due to where this chapter was going, I had to change the second half of the previous chapter's preview. So there will be a couple of expected scenes replaced with something more unexpected. Keep your eye out for those things! ;)

**P.P.S.:** Oh, you bet my little butt I'm excited about Zygarde's new forms and the new season of the XY anime! Yeah, in case you haven't heard, they released new forms and information on Zygarde. And yes, I'm going to implement that in this story somehow.

**Edit #1: **I realized I forgot Pikachu when he was needed! Whoops, sorry everyone! That was my bad!

**Edit #2:** I've adjusted the ending preview to fit all the changes I decided to make in the next chapter.

* * *

**Unknown location**

Tonio's eyelids fluttered open, and the first thing he saw was the color silver. Silver, silver everywhere. At first, he thought he was dead and he'd gone to the afterlife.

Then, a familiar voice said jeeringly, "Glad to see you've rejoined us, Tonio Gaudí."

The scientist gasped and looked beside him, being greeted by a pair of standing legs. He looked up at the towering figure and stared into the face of the man who had been standing on the balcony, the one called Alastair. There was a triumphant smirk on his face as he looked down at Tonio, like a sadistic person staring at a helpless Lillipup. However, Tonio refused to be daunted by the imposing villain.

"What...What have you _done_?!" he roared.

"What do you think?" Alastair replied nonchalantly. "We stole the Oración music disc and knocked down the Time Tower." His smirk widened slightly. "I must thank your Darkrai for some of that little shindig. Its interference wasn't part of the original plan, but nevertheless, our objective was accomplished."

"You mean _your_ objective," a voice snarled, and Tonio noticed for the first time the other villains standing a considerable distance away from the two of them.

Alastair glared at the speaker. "Oh, whatever do you mean by _that_, Saturn?"

Saturn's eyes narrowed as he replied, "When were you going to tell us that you guys already _had_ that Arceus-damn disc?! After Archie and Maxie were going to settle their personal matters like children?! Don't you realize that nearly got all of us KILLED?!"

"But we weren't killed, were we?"

"Yeah, thanks to whatever surrounded us!" Saturn then looked around, examining the mysterious silver substance that shielded the entire group of people from the falling debris of the Time Tower. "What...What in Arceus's name _is_ this thing, anyway?"

"A little device of Charon's own design." Alastair stretched out his arms proudly. "Nanotechnology, a branch of science made illegal by all regions around the world because of the so-called _dangers_ it imposed, environmental or otherwise. To think, billions of small robotic particles, barely the size of mere specks of sand, could gather and collectively form this near-indestructible mass, among many other objects!"

Tonio blinked, shocked by Alastair's explanation, and examined the silver substance, his eyebrows raised.

_"This... All of this is made by minuscule robotic particles?..."_ he thought in surprise.

Alastair continued, "We call it...the Hive."

"The...The _Hive_?" Saturn asked as he and the others continued looking around curiously.

"Yes, the Hive. Now-" Alastair crossed his arms. "-you must be wondering about the purpose of this mission."

"DAMN RIGHT WE ARE!" Archie roared. "WHAT THE HELL WAS ALL OF THAT ABOUT, ANYWAY?!"

"YES!" added Maxie. "AND GET TO THE POINT!"

"I was just about to." Alastair turned his back on the group of villains. "We at the Syndicate deduced that your organizations would be the least willing to coexist and work together as a team. Team Aqua. Team Magma. Team Galactic. Team Plasma. All criminal organizations, all with different goals, methodologies, and expected outcomes. Of all the organizations making up the Syndicate, you four proved to be the least cooperative. The Syndicate values teamwork as an essential component to its mission of world conquest. Now, tell me, what do you think would happen if there are loose cannons to that belief?"

When everyone else remained silent, he continued, "Well, the whole plan falls apart." He stretched his arms out to his sides for emphasis, like a man wholeheartedly accepting the grace of Arceus's presence. "Just like how the Time Tower fell apart."

"Just like...the Time Tower?..." repeated Tonio.

As if on cue, the silver color on the so-called 'Hive' seemed to fade away, revealing a disturbing scenery. Tonio gasped as he took in everything that was around him.

There was nothing but destruction and smoke all around them. The Time Tower was gone.

"Behold!" Alastair announced. "The product of your so-called teamwork!"

* * *

**Chapter 21: Under the Leaf**

* * *

**"YOU BASTARD!"**

Tonio leaped up to his feet and dashed towards Alastair as fast as he possibly could. However, before he could reach the villain, Klinklang suddenly hovered between him and its Trainer. The Gear Pokémon roared and fired a Mirror Shot attack at Tonio, hitting him and sending him tumbling back towards his original position. As the scientist struggled to stand up, he noticed for the first time the unconscious forms of Alice, Monferno, and Darkrai lying nearby.

_"No..."_ he thought. _"They're all...hurt..."_

He growled viciously as he stood up, feeling the Mirror Shot's stinging heat on his chest.

_"They're all _hurt_..."_

He nearly fell over, but managed to maintain his posture.

_"My great-grandfather's work was ruined..."_

He reached into his pocket.

_"Because of..."_

He pulled something out.

_"_Me_..."_

"GO, DRIFBLIM!"

Tonio threw the Poké Ball in his hand, unleashing the Blimp Pokémon. Alastair sneered as the Drifblim faced off against his Klinklang.

"Ah, so you wish to continue resisting us, Tonio Gaudí?" he asked. "Fighting me isn't going to redeem your family honor-"

"SHUT UP!" roared Tonio. "DRIFBLIM, USE PHANTOM FORCE!"

Alastair's eyes widened in shock as he watched Drifblim disappear into thin air. "What the?!" He turned towards Klinklang. "Klinklang, use Protect!"

The Gear Pokémon immediately created a light-green, spherical barrier around its body. However, a couple of seconds later, Drifblim reappeared from above and smashed into Klinklang's barrier as hard as it could. Alastair's eyes widened even further as he witnessed cracks appearing on the barrier's surface.

"Impossible!" he exclaimed in anger, seconds before the Protect shattered completely and Drifblim slammed into Klinklang, forcing it into the ground with so much force that it created a small crater the Gear Pokémon's metallic body was jammed in.

"Well, I guess you were unaware that Phantom Force will hit a Pokémon even if it uses defensive moves like Protect and Detect," explained a triumphant Tonio. Then, he pointed at Klinklang. "Use Ominous Wing, Drifblim!"

Drifblim levitated higher into the air and prepared to fire the attack...

"LICKILICKY, GYRO BALL!" another voice commanded.

Before Drifblim could react, a spinning body collided violently with it, distracting it from its target. The body landed on the ground and stopped spinning, revealing itself as a very familiar Lickilicky, looking as clueless as ever. Tonio gasped and looked to his side; to his dismay, Baron Alberto was still standing, his posture radiating excessive confidence and arrogance.

"YOU HIT THE WRONG POKEMON, ALBERTO!" the scientist snapped angrily.

"Oh, really?" replied Alberto, sneering at Tonio. "I believe I hit my target head-on."

Seizing the opponent's distraction, Alastair pointed at the stunned Drifblim and ordered, "Klinklang, use Zap Cannon! Finish this off now!"

The Gear Pokémon promptly fired a bluish-green sphere of crackling electrical energy at Drifblim, hitting in in the chest.

"NO, DRIFBLIM!" shouted Tonio as he watched his Blimp Pokémon collapsed to the ground, critically wounded and rendered unconscious from the Electric-type attack. He tried to run up to its fallen form, but was blocked off by Lickilicky. "What?! Lickilicky?!" He glared at Alberto angrily. "Get your Lickilicky out of the way, Alberto!"

"On the contrary, Gaudí..." Alberto replied menacingly. He snapped his fingers, and seconds later, Tonio found himself in the grip of Lickilicky's elongated tongue. "I have no intention of following orders from _you_."

"You can't be SERIOUS!" Tonio shouted. "Are you really siding with the likes of these people?! Do you SEE what they have done to Alamos Town?!"

"I have." Alberto scanned his surroundings nonchalantly. "To be honest, I'm grateful for what they did."

"_What_?"

"For years, I've always tried to get this entire town remodeled to my liking, but my motions were blocked by the head council. These people just saved me the whole tedious process of demolitions. Oh, and these so-called Space-Time Towers were ugly, so consider my goal for that halfway done." He looked at Alastair and bowed at him. "My sincerest thanks for the work, mister. I greatly appreciate it."

Alastair's lips curved into a satisfied grin. "I take it you approve of the Syndicate's actions, Baron Alberto?"

"Heck yeah! This town was in a serious need of changes, and at this point, something spontaneous like this was well in order."

"I see." Alastair's grin widened. "You know, Baron Alberto, how would you like to join the Syndicate?"

Alberto blinked. "What? You are asking _me_, the venerable Baron Alberto, to join the ranks of your organization?" He raised an eyebrow. "May I ask why?"

"Well, I am well aware that the Alberto family is in possession of a vast fortune and that they play a large hand in the transportation systems of Sinnoh."

"Yes, that is true." Alberto straightened out his suit smugly, basking in the praise.

"The Syndicate has yet to acquire full access to Sinnoh's transportation, which is highly essential to the next phase of our master scheme." As he spoke, Alastair's Klinklang managed to break free from the ground and joined its Trainer's side. "With your full cooperation, we will execute that objective more efficiently."

"And what do I get as a reward for joining you?" asked Alberto.

"Why, anything you wish! Even power, beyond your wildest imaginations! Do note that you will be sharing this power with others, but you will enjoy it nevertheless!"

Alberto grinned energetically at the response. "Power beyond my wildest imaginations? That sounds certainly enticing..."

Alastair held out his hand. "So, what do you say, Baron Alberto? Will you join the Syndicate and follow us into an era of prosperity and riches?"

"I couldn't think of anything _better_," replied the wealthy heir as he grasped Alastair's hand.

"BARON ALBERTO!" roared Tonio, horrified at the exchange he just witnessed. "HOW?! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?!"

Alberto's lips pursed, and he snapped his fingers. Lickilicky instantly tightened its grip around Tonio, causing him to cry out in pain and gasp for breath.

"How could I do this, you say, Gaudí?" the wealthy man replied, refusing to look at him. "Well, isn't it obvious?" He finally turned around and glared at the struggling scientist with his deep-magenta eyes. "You persistently continue to seduce Alice, the one who is to be my beloved wife, my blessed Cherubi, the Arceus-given joy of my life! As the man and sole head of the Alberto household, I WILL NOT tolerate such threats to the bond we both share! With the help of this Syndicate, I will finally acquire what I truly deserve: the undying and unwavering affection of Alice! Speaking of which..." He turned back to Alastair. "I would like to set another condition for our newfound alliance."

"And what would that be?" Alastair asked, intrigued.

"I want you to automatically declare Alice as my beloved Mrs. Baron Alberto! You obviously do not have a problem with sidestepping the law, so I would like you guys to do something about it! And put it in writing!"

Alastair raised an eyebrow in amusement, but he replied loyally, "Of course, Alberto. We will work something out. But in the meantime, consider yourselves man and wife. I would also tell you two to kiss if the bride weren't, ahem, unconscious."

Alberto's eyes glinted with unrivaled lust as he stared down at Alice's form. "Did you hear that, Alice? We are married, at long last! We can live the life we've always wanted! Forever and ever! And there'll be no one who can get in the way of our love!"

"I've always...thought you were...stuck up...Alberto..." Tonio breathed out laboriously, feeling as if his ribs could get crushed by Lickilicky's grip. "But...I've never figured you...to be...completely _insane_!"

Alberto's eye twitched, and he snapped his fingers again. Lickilicky promptly tightened its grip on Tonio even more. The scientist struggled to scream, but no air could emanate from his mouth. The entire world was becoming blurry all around him. He was going to die, he knew it.

It pained him to know that he would die a complete failure, unable to protect Alice or Darkrai...

"Cease this now, Alberto," Alastair suddenly ordered.

"What?!" The wealthy man glared at Alastair angrily. "NO! I refuse to let this homewrecker tread on my precious garden for a second longer! He must DIE!"

"Indeed, and I understand and fully respect your viewpoint regarding the subject. But I believe the Syndicate will find some good use out of him. I promise you, I will remove him from your hair in the meantime."

Alberto pursed his lips, but muttered "Fine" and snapped his fingers once again. This time, Lickilicky released Tonio in a moment's notice. As the scientist lay on the ground, coughing out spit, Alastair approached Tonio, flanked by Klinklang, and knelt down towards him.

"You think...this will...benefit you guys?" spat Tonio between labored breaths as he looked up at the black-haired man. "NO! What you...are planning on...doing will...only lead to...your destruction!" He gritted his teeth. "Do not...be blind... _Please_..."

"Oh, of course we're aware of what will ensue from our actions," replied a calm Alastair. "Which is why the Syndicate is always ten steps ahead." The man then leered even further over Tonio, examining his features in full detail. "Heh, heh, I gotta say...as the great-grandson of Godey Gaudí, you look a lot like your ancestor. Such a striking resemblance." A strange glint then passed over his eyes. "And from what I overheard from your interesting conversation with my allies, you inherited _more_ than his looks. We'll make good use of you yet."

He then grabbed Tonio's head by the hair and lifted it up, threatening to tear strands of hair from their roots. The scientist let out a cry of pain, which was abruptly cut off when Alastair violently slammed his head back down on the ground, knocking him out. Alberto's lips twitched into a small grin as he witnessed this.

"Oh, Arceus," the heir said, his voice laced with euphoria. "I've _always_ wanted to see that happen to him."

"Consider your wish granted," Alastair replied before standing up and dusting his pants.

"What did you mean when you said we'll make good use out of that guy?..." Archie asked as he, Saturn, Maxie, and the others approached their acting leader.

"I'm afraid that's classified for the time being."

Saturn's eye briefly glinted with an unknown emotion at that response, but it went unnoticed by everyone else.

"So, we have Oración?" asked Maxie.

"Yes, this entire time. Why do you ask, Maxie?"

"Well, since the Space-Time Towers suffered a grievous amount of damage, I doubt we'll be able to play that music disc to placate a Legendary Pokémon-"

"Oh, do not worry about that," Alastair interrupted with a dismissive wave of his hand. "We've already duplicated that machine."

Saturn blinked in shock. "Wait..." he said. "You...You actually _duplicated_ it?"

"Why, yes. You'd be at a loss over the Syndicate's connections. We have many across the world. Pretty resourceful for a criminal organization, don't you think? Now then..." He snapped his fingers, prompting the Hive to turn completely silver again. "Let us make our leave."

"And, uh, how exactly is this Hive thing supposed to drive us outta here?" Archie asked.

Alastair grinned slightly. "We're being lifted into a transport jet right now as we speak."

* * *

**Route 13  
A couple of miles away from Lumiose City, Kalos**

Calem's eyes widened in horror as he stared at the horrific sight before him. To any ordinary person or Pokémon, they would be seeing a multitude of unconscious forest Pokémon lying in the middle of a clearing for one reason or another. However, to him, he was looking upon the scene for what it truly was.

The flowers and blades of grass that once graced the clearing were now dead and shriveled, while the once soft and fertile earth that brought about their growth was now solid, dry, and grainy. Any trees within the immediate vicinity also suffered from the unknown calamity, being stripped of their lively leaves and reduced to the sulking and lifeless skeletons that were their trunks. An unknown energy could be visibly seen traveling out of the unconscious bodies of the Pokémon and dissipating into thin air. And to top it all, an illusory hue of deep crimson stained the entire environment, even the cloudy sky.

This was the first time Calem had seen anything like it.

**"Are you okay, Calem?"**

"Fine, just fine, Xerneas," the Kalos Trainer replied. He then closed his eyes and remained silent for a couple of minutes. "I sense three primary sources of the Dark Aura...but no Dark Aura User or Users nearby." He opened his eyes. "They're no doubt the anchors that maintain this reserve."

**"Knowing Dark Aura reserves, you can't just destroy one anchor and move on to the next. As long as there is a presence of Dark Aura still in the air, the anchors will feed off on the remaining energy and regenerate themselves. As such-"**

"The three anchors must be destroyed at the same time," completed Calem.

**"Exactly. So, what is your plan, Calem?"**

"The reserve seems to be shaped like an isosceles triangle, with the three points being the anchors. Fortunately for us, the closest anchor is only a few yards away from here, situated at our right. You'll take that one, Xerneas. As for the second anchor, it's half a mile out." He pulled out a Poké Ball and threw it into the air. "Go!"

The device unleashed a Greninja, which regarded its Trainer patiently. Calem smiled at the Ninja Pokémon briefly before resuming his speech.

"Greninja, there's a Dark Aura anchor a half-mile that way." He pointed behind Greninja. "I want you to get over to it and destroy it at my mark. Got it?"

The Ninja Pokémon nodded and croaked loyally.

**"And I assume you will handle the third Dark Aura anchor, Calem?"**

"Oh no, Xerneas, I'm just gonna camp out here and have a nice little picnic with all of the forest Pokémon." Calem's eyes then narrowed seriously. "The third anchor is dangerously close to Lumiose City, probably even sitting on the border separating it from the forest. People are no doubt gonna be in danger if they get too close to the area. ...And if there's anyone who'll be able to cover what will happen there, it'll be me."

**"If you insist."**

"Alright. Let's move out!"

Greninja nodded and leaped onto the nearest tree, proceeding to jump from one tree to the next. Calem felt the otherworldly presence behind him gallop away.

The Kalos Trainer took a brief moment to scan the unconscious Pokémon lying all around him. His eyes were particularly focused on an unconscious Fennekin, which was lying next to its mother, a Delphox. The Fennekin had to be no older than a few weeks, judging by its size. The teenager gritted his teeth in disgust.

_"These Dark Aura Users know no bounds, do they?..."_ he thought. _"Well, hope this person gets what's coming to him. Or her."_

* * *

**Rouge Plaza  
****Lumiose City**

Ash blinked at Looker. "Wh-What do you mean we've into run a...sticky situation?..." he asked hesitantly.

Looker remained silent, and Ash could tell the agent was reluctant in disclosing anymore information. Indeed, he was looking around to scan the crowded plaza.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that," replied Looker, the volume of his voice down a notch or two. "Not here anyway." He looked back at Ash. "To be honest, I'm already breaking a bunch of rules in place, just by telling you there's a problem underneath everyone's noses."

"What kind of problem is it?"

"Like I said, I can't tell you over here. It's too risky. There could be eyes everywhere." The agent suddenly laughed heartily and wrapped his arm over Ash's shoulder and began guiding him away from Rouge Plaza, as if he were a longtime friend. Before Ash could question his odd behavior, Looker whispered, "Follow my lead and laugh with me. I'll explain everything when we get to the hotel."

Ash was still confused, but he knew better than to disobey Looker, an International Police agent. So, he laughed with him.

* * *

**Hotel Richissime  
****North Boulevard**

Ash followed Looker onto the elevator, still feeling a bit awkward that he had to pretend to be the agent's son if he were to enter with him. Understandably, the raven-haired Trainer was offset about the whole situation. If Leaf and Looker's accounts were correct, then he could be dealing with a villainous force unlike anything he had even seen before, more dangerous than the likes of Teams Rocket, Magma, Aqua, Galactic, and Plasma. And he was sure that as soon as he was briefed on the whole subject, the powers that be would now put the responsibility of stopping this new threat on him, his Pokémon, and the best of his abilities.

But...

"Why so silent, Ash?" Looker piped, catching the Trainer's attention.

"It's nothing," replied Ash, looking away as he felt the elevator begin its ascent. "I was just wondering..."

"About what kind of threat you're dealing with?"

_"_I'm_ dealing with?"_ Ash repeated in his head. _"Of course. Looker naturally turns to me for assistance, but knows that only _I _can solve the problem..."_

"Well, you're going to have to wait a minute longer."

Ash looked up at the agent. "Aren't we inside an elevator?"

"Yes. So?"

"I think we're safe in here."

"Trust me, my room has everything you need to learn about what's at stake. A mere explanation isn't enough for some exposition." He then glanced at Ash's right shoulder. "Whoa, I never noticed until now, but your Pikachu's gone. What happened to it? I never see one of you without the other."

After all this time, Ash realized for the first time that he left Pikachu behind with his friends. He instantly felt guilty for forgetting his beloved friend and partner.

"He's at my place..." he replied softly.

Looker blinked. "Okay..."

Then, the elevator bell rang, interrupting their conversation, and the doors slid open. Looker stepped out and quickly strolled down the hallway to his left, followed closely by Ash. It didn't take him long to reach the door marked 442, which he approached and knocked on in a rhythmic pattern. However, after a couple of minutes passed, no one was still answering the door.

"Uh, Looker?" Ash piped. "I don't think we're at the right place-"

Suddenly, the door became unlocked from the other side and swung open, revealing another familiar face to Ash.

"_Jackie_?" the Trainer asked incredulously.

"_Ash_?" the Pokémon Ranger replied, equally shocked.

Looker flicked his head from one to the other and back.

"Wait, you two _know_ each other?" he asked.

"Darn straight," Jackie replied, grinning widely. "He and his friends helped me out on a mission in Kanto!"

"Well, can't say I'm surprised about that-"

"Wait a minute, did I hear someone say _Ash_?" another voice interrupted.

Within seconds, Solana shouldered Jackie aside and glared down at Ash, flanked by Lance and Tedesco. Ash's eyes widened upon identifying the trio of familiar faces. Looker immediately noticed the expression on everyone's faces and blinked in shock.

"Wait," he said. "No way. Ash helped _all of you_?"

"Does that _really_ surprise you, Looker?" Tedesco asked.

* * *

**Approximately an hour later**

_**"As you all...can see... This is what's left...of...Alamos Town's Space-Time Towers..."**_

Ash, Looker, and the rest of the Dream Team watched the live report in silence, using the hotel's television set. Right now, the screen was displaying an aerial shot of the remnants of the Space-Time Towers. There was still a large amount of smoke left, though it had long since lost its charcoal-gray color and was now colored in a pearly white. The camera's angle gave a good, unobstructed view of the towers...or _tower_, more appropriately; the Space Tower was still standing strong while the Time Tower was gone, along with the tall, winding staircase and the astounding music room at the top, all reduced to a massive pile of smoking rubble.

_**"This is truly...**_**truly_...a horrible__ sight..."_** the reporter continued, his voice grave and trembling.**_ "This...This reporter has no other words to describe what he's seeing before him... This is, without a doubt...the darkest day in Alamos Town's history-"_**

The screen immediately shut itself off, and Jackie offhandedly tossed the remote control onto the nearest bed.

"Alright, I think that's enough," he said harshly. "Ash doesn't need to see anymore of that..."

"So..." piped Ash, looking downtrodden, "this is the work...of a _new_ criminal organization?..."

"Yes," Looker replied, standing up from his chair. "I'm afraid so."

"Who are these guys? Why would they do such a thing? What do they want?..."

"They're calling themselves the Syndicate, boy," explained a professional Archer in response. "Syndicate, plain and simple. Their massive archive of a membership is mostly made up of smaller criminal organizations, over 300 in total."

"You have met some of those organizations before, Ash," Solana added, "while helping us on our missions."

"Teams Galactic and Plasma, for starters," said Looker.

"And also Teams Aqua and Magma," Lance added.

Ash's eyes widened in horror. "Teams Galactic, Plasma, Aqua, and Magma are part of the Syndicate?!" he exclaimed. "H-_How_?! I thought they were in jail!"

"The Syndicate broke them out, Ash," Jackie replied, "along with any other organizations disbanded and imprisoned." His eyes narrowed seriously. "The Syndicate is _extremely_ dangerous, Ash. They're like nothing any of us have ever dealt with before. With all of these criminal organizations under its command, the Syndicate has unlimited, unrivaled access to a vast amount of resources all across the planet. The best Pokémon Poachers, the most advanced technology-"

"And we have reason to suspect their scope of influence extends to the local level," continued the Anistar City Officer Jenny. "In other words, we believe the Syndicate has agents operating undercover in Lumiose City. They could be anyone, ranging from the sidewalk vendor to the jogger to the museum keeper-"

"Not to mention our fellow Jenny at Lumiose City," interjected the Goldenrod City Jenny.

"Nonsense!" the Nimbasa City Jenny snapped. "There is no way one of our own would betray us like this!"

"Everyone," chided Lunick, silencing the three Jennys, "this is no time to be bickering over this! Like we assumed, at least some of these undercover agents may be operating against their will and just have no other choice in the matter. We mustn't assume the worst-"

"Well, when the Syndicate is concerned," Archer interrupted grimly, "everything _always_ winds up taking a turn for the worst."

Lunick glared at the agent, but before he could issue a retort, Tedesco stepped between the two men.

"No!" he snapped. "This team cannot bear another argument against one another! We must calm down and fill Ash in on the situation-"

"No, I think I get it..." replied Ash somberly. "So, there's this powerful organization of criminals out causing chaos and we're all powerless to stop them?"

"At the moment, Ash," Looker said consolingly, patting the raven-haired Trainer in the back. "At the moment. But we _will_ find a way to defeat the Syndicate, Ash. Just like we found a way to defeat Teams Galactic and Plasma!"

"But they're back now, aren't they? And they're working together too. How're we supposed to beat them and the 298-plus other organizations that are by their side?" Ash raised his head for a centimeter. "What exactly is their mission, anyway? What are they hoping to accomplish?"

"They've been capturing Legendary Pokémon from all across the planet-"

"WHAT?!" Ash abruptly shot up from the bed he was sitting on. "They're capturing _Legendary Pokémon_? How many?! Who are they?!"

"I'm afraid that's classified information," replied Archer.

"NO! I've befriended a good number of those Pokémon! If any of my friends are in danger and I don't know who exactly they are, then I have a right to know!"

"I'm afraid that's classified information."

"Why IS IT classified, then?!" Ash marched over towards Archer aggressively, looking directly into his eyes with a white-hot glare of unmistakable fury, although the semiretired agent was undaunted by the expression. "Why in the world are you guys keeping that piece of information from me?! HUH?! WHY?!"

"So people won't go into a panic," Tedesco replied softly. "We are under orders to not disclose sensitive information to you. Believe me, we have already risked our jobs by informing you of the Syndicate's existence-"

"So, you seem to have no trouble in telling me about the Syndicate, but you can't explain which kinds of Legendary Pokémon the Syndicate has?!"

"There's a point where we must stop-"

"STOP, MY ASS!" snapped Ash in such an enraged tone that the entire Dream Team was silenced, shocked to hear the raven-haired boy respond in such a way. "YOU GUYS ARE ALL SUPPOSED TO BE PROTECTING POKEMON, ISN'T THAT RIGHT?! WELL, IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS YOU'RE NOT DOING A GOOD JOB AT DOING THAT IF THE SYNDICATE HAS MANAGED TO ACCOMPLISH ALL THAT YOU SAID!"

"You DARE challenge our authority like that, boy?!" Archer snapped, standing up from his chair with his fists clenched tightly.

"Archer, calm DOWN!" Looker shouted. "Same goes for you, Ash! Look, yes, I admit we've doing a pretty poor job at stopping the Syndicate at what they're doing. But they've proven themselves to be very dodgy time and again. Every time they capture a Legendary Pokémon, they disappear just as quickly as they appear. We cannot pinpoint where their base of operations is, or where they could be headed next." He sighed heavily as he rubbed his temples with his fingers. "They were obviously well-prepared for the forces they would be coming up against..."

"So, let me get this straight," Ash snarled in response. "The Syndicate is capturing Legendary Pokémon and all you can do is sit in the sidelines and watch on."

Looker looked up at the Trainer. "I wouldn't call it that, Ash. We've been trying our level best-"

"Yeah, but your level best is obviously not good enough, isn't it?" Ash turned away from the Dream Team, his hands in his pockets. "I guess I can relate..."

"Excuse me?" Solana asked.

"Well, I'm not strong enough," replied Ash, although it seemed like he was talking more to himself than the Dream Team. "Not strong enough...to become a Pokémon Master... I can't even win a simple Pokémon League..."

Looker blinked, confused about what Ash was talking about. Then, he cleared his throat and said, "Look, I don't know what you're talking about, Ash. But strong or not, you have been able to accomplish all sorts of unimaginable wonders."

"Yes," Lance added, stepping forward. "You were able to defeat Teams Aqua and Magma in the midst of a destructive, violent battle between Kyogre and Groudon. Kyogre even willingly gave you a _ride_ on top of it! That kind of treatment was never seen before with Kyogre in history!"

"And you were also overcame all odds to help Celebi, Deoxys, Riolu, and Manaphy in their respective situations," piped Solana. "Any other Trainer would never have been able to accomplish what you did."

"Not to mention your assistance in my investigations into Teams Galactic and Plasma," Looker continued. "You saved the Universe from being destroyed, and helped prevent Reshiram from running amok. All of those feats should be enough to prove your true strength."

Ash looked back at Looker, Lance, and Solana. "Really?" he asked.

"You're darn right, kid," Jackie replied, stepping forward. "If you were able to do all that we just mentioned, then you should easily be able to help us figure out what the Syndicate is up to and stop them once and for all."

"Wait, what?!" exclaimed Archer, attracting the attention of all his colleagues. "Hold on a minute, you can't POSSIBLY be recruiting this kid to our cause! We were ordered by our superiors to-"

"Archer, _shut up_," Tedesco growled harshly, silencing his colleague.

Archer prepared to protest, but stern glares from Looker, Lance, Jackie, and Solana were all that it took to convince him that it was useless. So, he instead sat back down on his chair, furiously muttering something incomprehensible, undoubtedly some form of insult.

"So, Ash," Looker said, turning back towards the Trainer, "what do you say? With your impressive history in helping all of us, you will _definitely_ be a major asset in our investigation into the Syndicate."

"Will you help us, Ash?" Jackie asked. "For old time's sake?"

Ash stared back, inspecting all of the members of the Dream Team. They were all looking back at him expectantly, no doubt mentally praying that he would accept the request. It initially seemed appealing; he was no stranger in saving the world. And yet...

"I can't," he replied.

There was a brief, deafening silence.

"What?" asked a flabbergasted Looker.

"I can't." Ash looked away. "I...I just _can't_..."

"Wait a minute, Ash! The world is at stake as we know it, and that's all you have to say?! You _can't_ help us?!"

"Why do you even not want to help us?!" Lance exclaimed worriedly. "Aren't you even _concerned_ that the world could end?!"

"Of course I am, Lance," Ash replied somberly, looking down at the floor. "But... If I can't become a Pokémon Master, how can I help save the world?"

Before anyone could protest, the teenage boy walked towards the door, opened it, and left the hotel room, closing said door behind him without saying another word. The Dream Team was left behind, engulfed in an awkward silence. Looker's mouth was ajar as he stared at the doorway, shocked at Ash's declination.

Then...

"Well, that went _pretty_ well," Archer piped, smirking with an air of triumph.

"Shut the hell up, Archer," snarled Tedesco.

* * *

**Outside Hotel Richissime**

Ash stepped out of the hotel, his body hunched slightly, his hands tucked in his pockets as he looked down at the cobblestone walkway. In his mind, there was a side of him that urged him to change his mind and accept the Dream Team's request to help them. However, its voice was drowned out by another side of him, one that was more powerful and influential. He knew that he was being selfish by turning down a chance to prevent the world's destruction, something anyone would easily take, but considering recent events, Ash concluded that he was unable to provide any help to the investigation. After all, there were a lot of things wrong with him: he easily put his faith in too many people, he could never learn from his past mistakes, and most of all...he just couldn't achieve his dream...

How could he, and others, expect to save the world if he couldn't learn how to improve on those flaws?...

_**"You want to become a Pokémon Master. However, you fail every time you try to conquer a regional League. And then, you move onto a new region and a new League without making much, if not **_**any**_**, effort to look back on your mistakes, what exactly you did wrong. Also, you simply flat-out ignore any other interesting opportunities that come across your way, and in addition, you don't consider the feelings of other people. All you care about is achieving your dream to become a Pokémon Master, without taking the time to address any other possible interests or the emotions of others.**_

_**"And **_**then**_**, you seek to help other innocent people in their affairs, even people you don't know personally. From what I've just seen today, it seems to me that you will not even stop to think about what kind of repercussions your help will serve...or better yet, if your help would give inconsiderate people an opening to take advantage of you. The human race is eternally flawed, with every individual motivated by their own personal beliefs, which fuels some sort of greed within them. You cannot just **_**expect**_** to help some random person without thinking about if he or she's got some sort of evil intention in mind, or at least one that disagrees with your beliefs."**_

"Shut the hell up, Calem..." snarled Ash, gritting his teeth. "You don't know anything about me. Who're _you_ to say my ideals are 'conflicting'? Conflicting, my ass..."

_**"When you're focused on trying to become a Pokémon Master, you don't make an effort to do that. But when you actually **_**try**_** to make an effort, you fall short on doing that exact thing. **_**Badly**_** so."**_

**"DON'T YOU DARE MOCK ME, CALEM!"** Ash roared to the heavens as he punched the trunk of a nearby tree, using so much force that he left a dent on its surface.

He noticed at the corner of his eye all nearby pedestrians, who stared at him with looks of uncertainty...and sometimes _fright_. However, he didn't care. He needed to find a way to channel his anger; he could care less if Arceus was watching him. He didn't even care if the Syndicate was going to launch their master scheme at any minute now. All he desperately needed to do right now was to-

**"_AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!_"**

Ash's fists became a blur as he started punching away at the tree forcefully and violently, creating small cracks on the trunk's surface, even causing some small chips of it to fly into the air. He didn't care if people were watching, he didn't care if it hurt so much that his knuckles bled, he didn't care if the trunk was being painted in his blood, he didn't care if the police had to arrest him to stop him, he didn't care about anything. There was just _so much_ frustration stored up within him, and he desperately wanted to unleash it in something, anything..._anyone_...

For a moment, he could imagine himself punching Calem's bloodied, broken face, over and over and over again...

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" a familiar chipper voice piped through the haze. "Slow down there, Primeape!"

Ash felt someone place their hand on his shoulder, and it brought a soothing warmth over his body, stopping him from continuing his assault on the tree. As his mind cleared up and the red in his vision disappeared, he realized that were was blood splattered all over the section of the trunk he was punching, as if someone collided head-first into the tree hard instead.

He then looked at his relaxed hands as the pain began to catch up to him. They looked as if they were dipped into red paint. Splinters of wood were protruding from the skin of his knuckles, digging deep into his skin. The hands began to tremble from the excessive stinging pain...

_"Did... Did that just..._happen_?..."_ he thought.

"That doesn't look good, Ash," the same chipper voice said. "We should get you treated!"

He looked across his shoulder and saw _her_ standing beside him.

"What...What're you-?" Ash prepared to ask, but Leaf placed an index finger over his lips, smiling playfully.

"Not right now," she replied.

* * *

**The PWT Pokémon Center**

"Wow," Nurse Joy said as she stitched up Ash's left hand. "Your hands sure took quite a beating. It's a good thing you came in here soon after the fact. You would've probably gotten an infection from those wounds if you left them unsupervised. What happened to you?"

"Fell down a hill and into a _thorny_ bush," Leaf said, but Joy didn't seem to hear her.

"Fell down a hill and into a _thorny_ bush," Ash repeated.

"Oh, well then, you have to be more careful next time, young man." Joy promptly cut the last of the thin rope with a pair of scissors. "From these wounds, it seems to me you were more like punching your way out of a wooden box or something."

"I got tangled up inside the bush and had to get out somehow," Leaf said, but again, Joy didn't seem to hear her.

"I got tangled up inside the bush and had to get out somehow," Ash repeated.

Joy frowned. "Well, next time, you should just crawl your way out," she replied as she took out surgical tape and wrapped it around Ash's palm, covering his knuckles. "There you go, you're all healed and ready to get back into the PWT!"

"Thanks, Nurse Joy!" exclaimed Leaf, smiling brightly, to which Joy finally noticed her.

"You're welcome, Leaf," the nurse replied. "Keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't, uh, fall into anymore thorny bushes."

Ash blushed in embarrassment.

"I'll be sure to do that, Nurse Joy!" Leaf immediately took Ash's arm and began guiding him away. "Again, thank you!"

Once the two Trainers stepped out of the PWT Pokémon Center, Ash stopped walking, accidentally separating himself from Leaf's grasp.

"Something wrong, Ash?" Leaf asked as she turned around and looked at the raven-haired boy.

However, Ash was silent. Instead of responding, he looked at his bandaged fists, which sported some tiny specks of leftover blood from his knuckle wounds. After staring at them for a few minutes, he looked back up at Leaf, who was still smiling optimistically at him.

"Who are you, Leaf?" he asked. "Really?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Ash," the girl replied, her smile never faltering. "I'm just a friend."

"No. You appeared in my life, out of nowhere, a few weeks ago. You've been following me like some sort of stalker, without any explanation. And then, when I finally have the chance to truly talk to you, you seem to have all the answers. You know everything. You don't seem..._natural_..."

Leaf giggled girlishly. "Well, isn't _that_ a nice thing to say to a girl..."

Ash marched up to her and stared deep into her eyes aggressively. "Don't play around with me!" he snapped. "I want to know who you are, how you know me, and why you seem to have lots of things up your sleeve! Because I don't know who _you_ are! You treat me as if we met before, but I know we have _never_ met before! I know for a _fact_ that you're not a friend like you claim to be!" He grabbed her collar and brought her closer. "Answer me now!"

"Aw, come on, Ash! Is that any way to treat a friend, a _girl_, nonetheless? Or is your anger still present and blinding you? If that is so, then I believe I have the answer to that." Her innocent grin widened. "In fact, I have the answer to a whole _bunch_ of your problems!"

A shocked Ash released her. "You... You _do_?"

"Uh-huh!" Then, Leaf took a couple of steps backward. "But I'm afraid you're not gonna get anything. Not with _that_ attitude, at least. Learn to loosen up a bit, Ash!"

"How in the world am I supposed to do that when Calem and Paul are right?! How can I loosen up if I know my ideals are wrong?!"

"Your ideals are not wrong, Ash. Calem and Paul, they just cannot see it. They have their own approaches, and you have your own. They should respect that." Leaf shrugged dismissively. "But then again, there's barely any true respect in the world nowadays. Nobility and rank mean nothing to your innermost emotions and sins. I'm pretty confident you made more enemies than you think during your journey, Ash."

"What're you-?" began Ash, but then, he remembered Calem's words.

_**"**_**_The human race is eternally flawed, with every individual motivated by their own personal beliefs, which fuels some sort of greed within them."_**

"I stand corrected," Leaf replied, sensing Ash's thoughts. She then crossed her arms. "Now then, what're you gonna do about this problem of yours?"

"How am I supposed to know? You're not going to give anything helpful to me, Leaf."

"Like I said, not if you keep up _that_ attitude."

Ash blinked, now confused. "So...what do you expect me to do?"

Leaf's smile widened even more, and she took Ash's hand, causing him to blush intensely.

"Well, you can start by taking me on a night on the town!" she exclaimed in response.

"A-A night o-on the t-_town_?" Ash stuttered.

"Of course!"

"Is-Is that what you w-_want_, Leaf?..."

"Don't worry, we're gonna have lots and lots of fun!"

At first, Ash was reluctant to do it. It actually sounded like Leaf was asking him out on a date. But he was already dating Hilda; he didn't want to betray her like that! Then again, it was not like he had a crush on Leaf or something; he just wanted answers from her. That didn't count against him, right? Nevertheless, he didn't wish for any of his friends to catch him in the middle of this occasion with Leaf and misinterpret the whole thing as something else.

...But...he needed answers...

"Alright, alright," he replied. "I'll... I'll do it."

Leaf chuckled excitedly. "Good! Don't worry, Ash, this is gonna be _exciting_!"

She promptly grabbed his hand and proceeded to half-drag him down the sidewalk. At the corner of her eye, Leaf saw someone watching (apparently having watched the entire conversation), and she smirked.

**_"What an interesting turn of events..."_**

* * *

**Along North Boulevard**

_"Well, isn't that great? This Dark Aura User _had_ to set up the third anchor along the border of Lumiose City..."_

Calem stood on the cobblestone walkway, coolly observing all of the pedestrians as they walked past him at all directions. Something at the corner of his eye catching his attention, e looked down at his side to observe a young girl as she walked past him beside her mother. The girl looked up and gave him a kind, innocent smile, which the Kalos Trainer promptly returned. However, once she went passed him, the smile turned into a concerned frown, and Calem took a fleeting glance over his shoulder to ensure the mother and daughter's safety before heading off in the opposite direction.

_"Obviously this anchor has to be located in a secluded location where no one goes to,"_ the Trainer thought. _"It has to be if there have been no suspicious deaths in the city recently. But where would people not bother to go in the city?..."_

He instinctively stopped and glanced across his left shoulder. Beside him was a lonely alleyway, shrouded in the shadows of the buildings situated on either side.

_"Bingo."_

Calem took quick looks around him to ensure there wouldn't be anyone potentially watching him. Then, he hopped into the shadows of the alley and closed his eyes.

_**"Aura analysis, commence."**_

Immediately, the pitch-black darkness Calem was seeing turned into a bright, dark shade of blue, which indicated the outlines of every object all around him. He scanned the entire alleyway for the signature he was looking for. At first, he didn't detect anything. But then, after a couple of minutes, he discovered a faint trail of a red, wisp-like substance that was hanging in the air.

_"There we go..."_

The Kalos Trainer went further into the alleyway, following the trail left by the strange substance that was unseen by anyone or anything else. A few stray Pokémon residing in the alley watched Calem curiously, wondering where he was going with his eyes closed.

In a span of a few minutes, the signature became stronger and stronger. As it did, the blue in Calem's vision was gradually disappearing, being replaced by more and more of the red substance. Finally, Calem found himself at the end of the alleyway, facing a brick wall lacking doors or windows, which prevented him from going any further. The Kalos Trainer opened his eyes, at this point feeling the overwhelming surge of Dark Aura permeating all the air around him.

"Here we are," he whispered to himself. "The location of the third anchor."

"Well _done_, my boy," a voice suddenly said in greeting.

Calem gasped and turned around. Standing a few yards away from him was a tall man completely shrouded in shadow, preventing the Trainer from making out many of his physical features. What he could tell from this strange man was that he wore a waistcoat, some sort of cap, and jeans, and had long hair that nearly obscured his eyes, which were...as red as blood...

"Well done," the man continued, applauding slowly and dramatically as if he had watched an impressive play. "I made extra-sure this anchor would be hard to find. You sure are impressive, for a student of Xerneas."

Calem's eyes widened as he could sense the image of X-shaped markings flashing over the man's blood-red eyes in mere split-seconds.

"You're...You're a Dark Aura User!" he cried. "The Dark Aura User responsible for setting up this reserve!"

The man blinked, then sighed heavily, apparently in disappointment.

"Well, of course," he replied. "Were you expecting someone else?" He crossed his arms. "It seems your deduction skills aren't up to par with your tracking skills. But no matter." The man tilted his head to the side coolly. "I haven't seen even a single trace of an Aura User in this land and timeline for seventeen years. It's good to know there are still people who will provide a good amount of entertainment for me."

"If you're asking for a fight," Calem snarled as Aura Spheres formed on his palms, "then you've got it!"

The man's eyes widened, and he suddenly held up his hands in a surrendering gesture. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on now, kid! I have no will to fight! At least, not yet! My master plan hasn't even been finished yet!"

"It doesn't matter!" Calem held out his arms, aiming the Aura Spheres at the unidentified Dark Aura User. "Whether or not you're reading to fight, Dark Aura User, I will take you down with everything I've got! It is my duty as an Aura Knight to vanquish you!"

"I'm confident that it is, my dear boy, but I'm afraid that your day of triumph will have to wait for another day-"

The man was cut off by an Aura Sphere that flew past his head; it missed his head by centimeters, only serving to singe threads of his hair. He blinked in shock for a moment, apparently contemplating his close brush with death...then burst out into fits of insane laughter.

"HAHAHA!" he cackled. "THAT WAS GOOD! THAT WAS **SO GOOD**! YOU NEARLY GOT ME THERE! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Shut up, lowlife," Calem growled, cutting the Dark Aura User off. "That miss was purely intentional. However-" He promptly raised his other arm, which still held an Aura Sphere. "-the next strike will be real. Now, disable the Dark Aura reserve you've got now, or else I will-"

"You will what?" interrupted the man. "Kill me? Well, you'd be wasting your time taking the latter option then, because I am fully charged and at my prime." He flexed his arm jokingly to prove his point. "No, this reserve isn't for me. It's for someone else, but I'm sure he _or she_ has enough power to no longer have any use for it as well. So, by all means-" He bowed almost pompously with the air of a gentleman. "-I shall take up your generous offer to disable this reserve!"

Calem's eyes widened in shock. "What?..."

Immediately, the man snapped his fingers, and Calem felt all traces of Dark Aura around him subside. The Kalos Trainer gritted his teeth angrily.

"You trash," he snarled. "You scum of the earth! There's a catch to this, isn't there?!"

"What?" replied the man as he resumed his original posture. "Why, of course not? Surely you don't take me to be some sort of scheming, calculating villain-"

"Imbecile! Of course that's what you are! Don't play games with me, Dark Aura User!"

"Oh, how I wish I were _indeed_ doing so. But I speak of the truth. My comrade is in no need of recharging, and presumably will not require such assistance for the weeks to come. She _or he_ has proven himself _or herself_ to be quite adept at conserving her _or his_ internal Dark Aura supply."

"And how do I know you are not lying?..."

"Why, check the forest along Route 13 for yourself." The man flashed a youthful, innocent grin. "Everything should be fine, so there is no need to worry!"

"DON'T YOU DARE MOCK ME WITH YOUR ATTITUDE, DARK AURA USER!"

Calem promptly fired his remaining Aura Sphere, but the man immediately vanished with a wisp of red smoke. The teenager gasped and looked around, wondering if the Dark Aura User was planning an ambush, when the man's voice reverberated through the walls of the alleyway.

_**"Foolish, violent, immature **_**boy_. I am an experienced master in the Dark Aura arts. Surely you couldn't have believed you were planning on killing me here and now. ...Unless that was supposed to be a purely intentional miss too?"_**

Calem growled viciously before shouting to the walls, "YOU'LL NEVER GET AWAY WITH THIS! XERNEAS AND I WILL DEFEAT YOU, YOUR COMRADE, WHOEVER HE IS-"

_**"Or **_**she_..."_** corrected the man.

"AND YOUR MASTER! YOU WILL NOT WIN IN YOUR MISDEEDS! I WILL PERSONALLY MAKE SURE OF IT!"

**_"My, my, you're quite the confident one, boy. But I urge you to tread carefully in these waters. I guarantee it, you are in for a surprise..."_**

"What surprise?! What in Arceus's name are you talking about, demon?!"

However, there was no response. Instead, silence fell upon the alleyway. Realizing that the Dark Aura User was likely long gone, Calem kicked a nearby trashcan with all of the force he could build up in his leg, knocking it over and causing it to spill its contents out.

"ARCEUS-**DAMN** IT!" he roared.

_**"Calem?"**_ a familiar voice asked in the teenage boy's head. _**"Are you well? How goes the search?"**_

"The search went down an _interesting_ route, Xerneas," replied Calem. "Are you feeling it from where you're standing?"

_**"Whatever are you..."**_ There was a brief pause. _**"Yes. The Dark Aura reserve, it's...it's **_**dissipating_. ...Strange. I have not destroyed my anchor yet, and I presume your Greninja has not made his next step either. What happened, Calem?"_**

"The Dark Aura User. I...I _met_ him."

_**"**_**What_?"_**

"Yes. I...I met him. He confronted me as I was tracking down the third anchor. I threatened him, but he suddenly told me he would destroy the reserve." He gave a brief pause. "Xerneas...he said he has an accomplice. The reserve was for him or her. There are _two_ Dark Aura Users in Lumiose City..."

_**"This confirms our suspicions, but nevertheless, this is **_**highly _distressing. Highly distressing indeed. Have you managed to identify the one you encountered? Distinguish any notable characteristics, at the very least?"_**

"Other than that Arceus-damn attitude of his? No. What I could tell was that he was a young man, likely aged in his thirties." His eyes narrowed. "The power I sensed from him... It was _high_... He was at a considerable distance from me and I could still sense it. He will be very formidable."

_**"Well... That is certainly...alarming, to say the least..."**_

"What do you suggest we do now, Xerneas? This threat obviously has something big planned..."

_**"Do you know who the second Dark Aura User might be?"**_

"No. I don't even have the slightest suspicion of anyone."

_**"Then unfortunately, we must only observe in the meantime. There is no other alternative. However, Dark Aura Users never hesitate from causing grievous damage and injury to innocents. Whatever their scheme is, they will play their hand sooner or later, and once they do, we will be there to strike and minimize the damage they intend to inflict upon this city. Don't you agree?"**_

"Yes, that is true, Xerneas. We shall wait and see what the Dark Aura Users plan on doing next."

Once the mental link between him and Xerneas was de-established, Calem grunted angrily and clenched his fists, trying to hold back his anger at the suggestion. He knew that Xerneas was right in having to wait until the Dark Aura Users attacked. After all, they didn't have any leads about their identities and it would therefore be useless in trying to track them down. However, the Kalos Trainer hoped he would take the Dark Aura Users down before they had a chance to hurt any more innocent people and Pokémon...

He promptly began walking out of the alleyway.

* * *

**Autumnal Avenue**

"SERENA! HEY SERENA, WAIT UP!"

Serena stubbornly refused to listen as she marched down the sidewalk, her eyes burning with rage and her fists clenched. Trailing right behind the aspiring Performer were Hilbert, Shauna, Clemont, Tierno, Trevor, and Brock; the rest had stayed behind at the mansion, all too shocked by the reports on the crisis at Alamos Town. At her heels was Pikachu, who was naturally just as concerned for Ash as she was.

"Where in the world are you _going_, Serena?!" called Hilbert, concerned for his girlfriend.

"I'm going to find Ash!" Serena shot back in response. "If he's seeing what we've seen, then Arceus knows what his reaction will be! None of us have seen anything that terrifying, and Ash is already dealing with a lot of stuff as it is! He can't afford any more pressure now!"

"Pika!" added Pikachu. "Pika-pika!"

Hilbert tried to respond with a protest, but he felt a hand latch over his shoulder. Looking behind him, he was greeted by Brock, who wordlessly shook his head at him with a soft exhale. Realizing it was probably unwise to protest against Serena's decision, he continued to follow Serena alongside the others.

After a few more minutes of walking, the group reached M Electronics, where they found a crowd of pedestrians watching the TV sets situated in front of the store, on display. Serena's eyes widened in surprise; the group was too big, and it would be difficult to find Ash in the crowd.

"M Electronics?" Clemont asked as he and the others caught up with Serena. "Why are we here, Serena?"

"Well, I obviously don't know where Ash would run off to," replied the honey-haired Performer. "This was my first bet, since we were staying at the store during the first days of the PWT."

"Knowing Ash," Brock said, "he might have gone to one of the local restaurants."

Serena shot him an angry glare. "BROCK!"

"What?!" The aspiring Pokémon Doctor raised his hands defensively. "I'm not joking, Serena! I've known him for five years! And I know for a _fact_ that whenever he's extremely upset about something, he would go somewhere to eat so he could get his mind off his troubles!"

"Yeah, that sounds like Ash alright," Clemont replied, sweat-dropping at the strange but factual remark.

"Pika..." Pikachu added, sweat-dropping at the fact.

"What's this about Ash I'm hearing?..." a voice asked, causing Serena's skin to pale considerably. She had almost hoped she somehow wouldn't hear that voice again.

"Oh, no..." she moaned.

"Well," the voice replied, "that isn't any way to greet a friend, now isn't it?"

Serena twirled around and stared down the newcomer angrily. Clemont sweat-dropped nervously, while the others looked at each other with looks of confusion.

"What're _you_ doing here, Miette?" snarled Serena.

"Well, for _your_ information, Serena," replied Miette as she crossed her arms, "the last time _I_ heard, the PWT was still underway despite the whole setback everyone else calls the Lumiose City Disaster. And that includes the Poké Puff Contests." Her lips curved into a nasty smirk that made Serena's skin crawl. "Speaking of which, a Poké Puff Contest was held on the side, and _you_ weren't in attendance, Serena. I feel very offended..."

Serena's eyes widened as she recalled her previous encounter with Miette.

_**"I hope to see you in at least one Poké Puff Contest, Serena. I am quite a huge believer in finishing unfinished business, and for you to ditch Poké Puff Contests in favor of doing something more...**_**unorthodox_,__ I'll say...it just bugs me. It really does."_**

_"Crap,"_ she thought. _"I've been so caught up in everything that's been happening that...I forgot about Miette..."_

"Well, Serena?" asked Miette. "Do you have anything to say about that?"

Serena didn't respond, prompting Shauna to walk up to her friend and rival and whisper in her ear, "Serena? Who is that?"

"Miette," replied the Performer bitterly in a hushed voice. "...Another rival of mine..."

"Huh..."

"_Hellooo_, Serena!" Miette piped impatiently. "I'm waiting for an answer!"

"Well... W-Well..." stuttered Serena. "Well..." Then, she found what she hoped to be an adequate answer. "Well, how am I supposed to know there was going to be a Poké Puff Contest at some point? I thought all festivities in the PWT were supposed to start at the same time, no matter what the start date is?" The honey-haired girl crossed her arms and smiled smugly. "Are the Poké Puff Contests perhaps _cheating_?"

"No, Serena, this Contest had nothing to do with the one hosted by the PWT. In the wake of the Lumiose City Disaster, the higher-ups decided to relocate another Contest here, to keep the fans satisfied."

"Really?" Hilbert asked, stepping forward. "I have not been made aware of this, and I should have been."

Miette eyed the boy now standing beside Serena with a raised eyebrow. "Aaaaannnnnddddd...who are _you_ supposed to be?..." she asked, frowning.

Hilbert's eyes widened in shock as he realized that he had nearly blown his cover. As usual, he was wearing a disguise to conceal his true identity from any potential fans, but the president hoped he didn't make it painfully obvious who he truly was now.

"This is Bernard, my friend," Serena replied without looking at Hilbert.

"Wait a minute, _friend_?" asked Hilbert, shocked at the anticlimactic description. "I thought I was your boyfrie- OOMPH!"

Serena quickly covered his mouth to prevent him from finishing the word, but it was too late. Miette smirked again as she put two and two together.

"Ooh, you have a _boyfriend_, Serena?" she asked. "I thought Four Eyes there was your new item."

"I am NOT, nor was I EVER Serena's boyfriend!" exclaimed Clemont desperately, his face entirely red.

However, Miette ignored Clemont and continued to smirk at Serena, who was now blushing intensely.

"To be honest," she said, "I think it's only fair that you would go after a guy like him after Ash gets taken. I'll admit, I'm a little happy for you, Serena." The baker then wagged her index finger at Serena, as if she were a young child. "But don't say I didn't warn you. You could've had it all, and yet, you were just too lazy to act-"

"Hey, leave Serena alone!" snapped Hilbert, quickly remembering how Serena's crush on Ash was now a fragile subject. "You don't need to taunt her about it!"

"PIKA!" shouted Pikachu, nodding his head in agreement.

"Yeah!" Shauna cried, stepping beside Serena as well. "What gives you the right to make fun of her like that?!"

Miette blinked, surprised by the support Serena was getting. Then, she became even more intimidated as soon as Clemont, Brock, Tierno, and Trevor delivered her nasty expressions of their own. She then pursed her lips, shrugged dismissively, and turned around, preparing to walk away in the opposite direction, but not before she decided to speak one last time on her own accord.

"Guess it looks like I crossed a line. I believe I'll be making my leave. But you gotta admit, Ash sure does look cute with that other girl. Leaf, I think the name was."

Before anyone could respond, Miette strolled away, leaving behind a group of flabbergasted Trainers.

"Leaf?" Clemont asked.

"That's definitely not a nickname Hilda would use," remarked Hilbert. "But...why would that Miette girl say Ash's girlfriend's name was _Leaf_?"

"That doesn't sound right..." Brock said, putting a finger on his chin.

Trevor immediately sighed and crossed his arms. "For the love of- Isn't it _obvious_, guys?!" he exclaimed.

"What's obvious, Trevor?" Shauna asked, looking at her friend.

"Ash is _cheating_ on Hilda!"

A silence fell upon the rest of the group as Trevor basked in his deductive skills. Then...

"**OW!**" Trevor clutched his head as he looked at Tierno, whose hand was still raised. "What'd you do that for, Tierno?!"

"Dude," the larger boy said, "Ash is the LAST person who would want to cheat on his girlfriend. You need better reasoning than that, my friend."

"Pika..." Pikachu merely shook his head.

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters  
****Location unknown**

Alastair, Charon, Curtis, Orlando, and Brodie all silently entered the private quarters of the Benefactor, all wearing satisfied grins on their faces. Inside the room, they found their leader seated at his throne, still mostly shrouded in shadow. However, they could all sense the aura of triumph emanating from him, and their collective pride increased by a fraction. As soon as their leader registered their presence, the quartet bowed their heads humbly.

"I assume the Oración mission went exactly as planned," the Benefactor greeted in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Yes, and then some," replied Alastair, his head still bowed as his grin widened slightly. "We've managed to acquire the great-grandson of Godey Gaudí, who appears to share his unique ability of peering into the future."

"Oh? Well, I do hope you find good use of him..."

"Our scientists our working on that as we speak," Charon replied, chuckling.

"Excellent. Just wonderful..."

"In addition," continued Alastair, "we have managed to acquire a Darkrai, the very Darkrai that has been protecting Alamos Town for the last two years. I understand that its presence is..._superfluous_, but even a spare could ultimately dictate our standing in the impending war."

"Indeed it is." The Benefactor raised his head slightly. "I also understand we have ourselves a new member?"

"Yes, Baron Alberto, the wealthiest man in Alamos Town. We have struck a partnership, which has given us easy access to Sinnoh's transportation system."

"So then, that scratches one extra problem off our list."

"Sir," piped Orlando, "if I may, I would like to address another problem at hand."

"Then by all means, speak your mind."

"It concerns the criminal investigation into our operations by the coalition between the International Police, the Pokémon Rangers, the G-Men, and the Localized Law Enforcement Association. They've sent their so-called Dream Team-" Charon and Brodie snickered quietly at the name. "-to Lumiose City, with the understanding that there may be spies operating there. I do not like the looks of it, sir, not one bit."

"Neither do I, Orlando," the Benefactor replied seriously. "Neither do I. Indeed, this is a serious problem."

"They have acquired no leads so far, but they've sent one of their own to infiltrate the PWT. And at that point-"

"That's when they will close in on us," completed the Benefactor. "I fully understand the problem, Orlando."

"What so you, Benefactor sir?" Brodie asked.

The Benefactor didn't respond for a full minute. Then, for the first time, he stood up from his throne and towered over his four lieutenants, who still had their heads bowed down to him. He began circling the quartet repeatedly, though his physical features still weren't seen due to the reach of the shadows.

"Gentlemen," he said, a malicious grin appearing on his face. "I believe it is time for the Syndicate to reveal itself to the world and assert ourselves upon it."

Orlando raised his head for a fraction of an inch. "Reveal ourselves to the world? Are you sure this is a wise strategy, sir?"

"Yes, Orlando, I believe it is so. We have enough Legendary Pokémon and recruits to confirm our strength to the rabble. And when we assert our dominance upon the world and all of civilized society, there will be no one courageous enough to challenge our superiority. Not even the coalition, who will be too embarrassed to make even a twitch towards us, for we will prove to the rabble that they've been lying to them." The Benefactor held out his arms in a pose of glory. "Everyone will have no choice but to stand by and watch, while we execute the final phase of our plan and truly take over all of reality! The rabble will then easily depose their rulers and governments, those that have fed them lies and propaganda, and accept us wholeheartedly!"

"But sir," piped Curtis, "what about Rosa?"

"What about her, Curtis?"

"She is on an undercover mission at Lumiose City. At _your_ orders. I believe she is still working on infiltrating the PWT."

"Well then, I am afraid that her orders have changed. Her new orders are to remain on standby until our arrival at Lumiose. Her next instructions will be given then."

Curtis blinked rapidly, shocked that the Benefactor was so willing to disregard one of his inferiors while he or she was experiencing a moment of personal triumph. However, he chose not to speak any further, for he knew that his leader had spoken his decision.

"Very well, then," Alastair replied, straightening himself out. "I shall alert the troops at once. We move to attack!"

"Excellent..." remarked the Benefactor.

Little did any of them realize their conversation was being recorded by a foreign device, situated at a corner of the roof.

* * *

In the shelter of her private room, Aliana's eyes widened in horror upon overhearing of the Benefactor's decision to reveal the Syndicate's existence.

"This is not good," she whispered to herself. "Not good at all." She quickly whipped out a cellphone from her pocket. "I must alert the Boss of this..."

* * *

_"There is always something underneath everything. As I laid there, **under the leaf** of that lone tree, I began to wonder about what such a trivial thing contained."_

–Convicted Pokémon Poacher Carter Gollom

* * *

**Above the skies  
Near Lumiose City, Kalos**

The blonde woman stared out of the window next to her, trying desperately to keep her desperation from clouding her judgment. To her relief, the clouds she had been seeing for hours finally parted, revealing the magnificent central city of the Kalos region and indicating that her plane was now close to her destination. She knew it was going to be difficult, mingling in a city full of people that advocated those dreaded Pokémon battles, a city that undoubtedly had to destroy the habitats of hundreds of innocent Pokémon in the process of its construction. However, she knew she had no other choice. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

After all, the boy she was seeking out _had_ to be there. There was nowhere else he would be at, other than at Lumiose City.

_"Do not worry, N, Anthea, Reshiram,"_ the woman thought as her brown eyes narrowed at the nearing city. _"I _will_ find him, and we _will_ save you all. We _will_ stop those villains from enacting whatever dastardly scheme they have planned for the future. I promise you all that."_

* * *

**Next time on "Judgment's Fall"**

**Alastair:** So, sir, shall we attack?

**Serena:** What...What is _that_?

**Dawn:** Please, you've gotta help us!

**The Benefactor:** Children. Always in need of a lesson in manners.

**Misty:** I've seen that thing before.

**Serena: **Ash would never give up if everything was on the line!

**Orlando: **Then let's fight! Fight for the Syndicate!

**Chapter 22: Seven Mighty Warriors**

* * *

**A/N:** In case any of you forgot, Aliana was previously seen in Chapter 16, assisting Alastair, Orlando, and the Syndicate in capturing Regigigas and the Regi trio while destroying Snowpoint in the process. And yes, she's the same character as the Team Flare scientist, if you have yet to piece it together.

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

**Gyga (guest reviewer):**

**1)** I think it'll be more interesting for everyone to see this newcomer that has taken such an interest in Ash. Will there even be a romantic misunderstanding?

**2)** Oh yes, I believe I've heard of that episode. And I think a major heart attack would be the least of Serena's worries at the moment.

**3)** Glad to see you think of that! It should get even MORE interesting as we go along. ;)

**Ejennings167:** It's okay. Just always remember to check my profile for the basic format of my story. It should answer everything you need about its length.

**Anthrax99 (guest reviewer):**

**1)** Actually, not all of the Legendaries are with the Syndicate (I know I didn't give a new rundown of which Legendaries have been captured, but I'll get to it soon, preferably the next chapter). But either way, they're getting there.

**2)** I'm glad you like Calem! Isn't he so mysterious?...

**3)** There's no more PWT in the story. The Syndicate is going to mess up their schedule even more. XD

**thor94:**

**1)** Oh, really? Nothing can stop the Syndicate? Not even, say, a certain raven-haired Trainer with a Pikachu on his shoulder? ;)

**2)** Oh, you'll find out about Leaf soon enough...

**EquinoxWolf:** The next chapter will clear up Zoey and Candice's obliviousness to the destruction of their hometown. ;)

**ChE clarinetist:**

**1)** Oh, I understand how hard it is to believe Floyd is truly repenting. With him, I personally think you shouldn't try anymore. He's sunken too low, no matter how reluctant he was in the process.

**2)** No, Leaf hasn't done that. She's taken _another_ interest in Ash. ;)

**3)** I believe Alice and Tonio will do more than just _chew_...

**4)** You're spot-on in those regards. :D

**5)** Unfortunately, I HAD to change up the preview because of where this chapter was going. Don't worry, I'm still including those deleted scenes somehow later on.

**Guest reviewer #1:** I know I could've made Sir Aaron's tale a separate story, but I feared it wouldn't get enough attention on its own, and it _is_ connected to this main storyline, after all. Besides, I wanted to structure this story like the XY anime, with one chapter each being an episode and the side-stories being in the same vein as the Mega Evolution Specials. Anyone else probably wouldn't have to, but I would, and it's just something I wanted to do, so forgive me, but you'll have to bear with it. Also, what do you mean it would get old reading this story?

**Trublsmbob (guest reviewer):**

**1)** The thought first came up on October 19, 2013, when XY premiered with its first two episodes. Yes, that long.

**2)** It's okay. ;D

**3)** Well then, consider this good news. Although it took me four weeks to get this chapter out, I managed it. I should be able to resume my normal schedule now, but don't count on it (because, you know, school and all)...

**xxxSMDxxx:**

**1)** Three hours? Must've been a new record for you. :P Anyway, I don't plan on writing another long chapter like that ever again (I read the whole thing too), so don't worry about having to spend another three hours on another long chapter. :D

**2)** As you can see, Leaf can be seen by other people as well. But I will explain why she has been seen by only Ash up to this point...for later, of course. ;)

**3)** I have no idea about Team Rocket, but I concur. They can still be funny at times, but make them experienced, Arceus-damn it! :(

**4)** The irony is strong with this one. *cue Darth Vader breathing*

**Guest reviewer #2:**

**1)** Thank you. Can you be specific on what you liked about it? Anything you disliked?

**2)** Why? Considering how long these chapters are getting, I need that amount of time.

**ArionXV:**

**1)** Ooh, I'm glad you think that! Thank you! :D

**2)** Yes, this story is indeed a recipe for perfection with its content.

**3)** I'll repeat what I said to the first guest reviewer. I know I could've made Sir Aaron's tale a separate story, but I feared it wouldn't get enough attention on its own, and it _is_ connected to this main storyline, after all. Besides, I wanted to structure this story like the XY anime, with one chapter each being an episode and the side-stories being in the same vein as the Mega Evolution Specials. Anyone else probably wouldn't have to, but I would, and it's just something I wanted to do, so forgive me, but you'll have to bear with it.

**4)** Oh man, you'd better get out of your house more often, then! And if not to go to school or get a job or whatever, just explore your hometown. Go on a road trip if you have to. Being someone who sympathizes with you and your lifestyle (believe me, like you, I barely leave my own home and am a bit of a depressed loon who roleplays in stories), I can say that going on a little outdoors adventure helps quite a bit.

**DodgingKing:**

**1)** HA! They may not have killed people at Alamos Town, but the next chapter will reveal the total amount of destruction they have caused. I will say the Nazis could give them a run for their money, if they existed in the Pokémon world (which I'm glad they aren't).

**2)** Leaf's no spiritual being, that's for sure, but she's right when she said she has powers...

**3)** The climax will be quite the epic tale, compared to Act I's. I'll say that much.

**4)** Were we talking about grammar just now? I forgot. :(

**Emily (guest reviewer):**

**1)** Oh, that's a relief to hear. :)

**2)** I'm glad you loved those scenes!

Well, hope you enjoyed this late chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	24. Seven Mighty Warriors

**A/N:** Hey, everyone! Yes, that's right, I'm back and better than ever! Hopefully none of you bailed out on me during this little hiatus. Now, it's time to get this crazy party that is "Judgment's Fall" started up again! :D

And before I begin, I must give you a brief history lesson: December 8 happens to be the day when President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave his Infamy Speech following the attack on Pearl Harbor, and when the U.S. declares war against Japan in World War II. Just like a few other previous chapters, I intentionally posted this chapter on this exact date so it can connect with some of the story's themes.

Okay, enough chitchat! On with the chapter. ENJOY!

**P.S.:** December 8 happens to be my birthday as well. I turn 20 today. So, happy birthday to me, I guess! :D

* * *

_**I am all alone. There is no one else.**_

_**All around me, the world crumbles into ashes, taken by the howl of the ghostly wind like an unearthly dust. And here I am, wallowing in the depths of darkness and despair itself, absorbing the black, rejecting the white, embracing all that is evil and sinful and terrible. For what good does good serve? It is just a concept, a delusion that people follow to give their lives some sort of meaning, but it is false. It all is. People refuse to believe this is true because they have been too blinded by their shining light. I curse them so.**_

_**I dip my hands into the black ichor, scooping it up and drinking from it, savoring it like it is my fuel, my blood. Then, I look around, entranced by the death that surrounds me. I have never felt this way since seven years ago, when the darkness first reached me, called out my name, beckoned me to follow it into righteous and personal glory. To this day, I could never imagine that this black was my savior, my love, my Arceus. And again, and again and again and again and AGAIN do I curse others for not believing the same way, for following the light.**_

_**Do they not know that there cannot be light without darkness?**_

_**But it matters not. One day, they will all learn. He will learn.**_

_**But I cannot act. Not yet. I have to wait. Soon, I will have my company. Soon, people will learn to appreciate the darkness.**_

**_For now, I am all alone. There is no one else._**

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters  
****Location unknown**

Alastair stood in the large room that was the headquarters' control center, watching as grunts of various organizations attended to the high-tech devices that kept the very structure in the air. He grinned widely at the hologram of the map that was displayed on the screen suspended from the ceiling; a large, bright, immobile white dot situated at the center of the map indicated their headquarters. If the map was correct (and it always was), then the Syndicate was nearing their next location. He could imagine it now: fleeing civilians, destroyed buildings, the Prism Tower completely collapsed, Sycamore Laboratories in flames...

It was such a gratifying thing to imagine, and he couldn't wait for the real thing...

"Alastair, sir!" called a female Team Aqua grunt. "We are half an hour away from the destination!"

"Excellent," the Syndicate lieutenant replied. "Very excellent. Slow down the Palace. I will inform the Benefactor of this and receive our next set of instructions."

The grunt nodded and went back to work. Before turning his back, Alastair noticed the grunt interacting with a male Team Magma grunt about the machine he was operating. He smiled proudly, immediately registering the lack of tension present between the two grunts, new behaviors that were being mirrored by the rest of the grunts affiliated with both organizations. Even Archie and Maxie were regarding each other respectful, courteous nods whenever they passed each other by.

_"The Oración mission worked just fine..."_ the Syndicate lieutenant thought as he made his leave. _"_Just_ fine..."_

* * *

Alastair entered the private room of the Benefactor and found his superior examining himself using a hand-mirror. His throne was turned on him, which gave Alastair an excellent position to see the Benefactor's reflection. He could see a cheek displaying large, grotesque burn scars...

The Benefactor turned his throne around to face Alastair, and the lieutenant quickly bowed, hoping his act in secretly observing the criminal leader wasn't noticed. He was well aware that the Benefactor didn't want anyone to see his true face, hence why the room was always completely dark, even when his lieutenants were visiting. Even he, Alastair, the acting leader and face of the Syndicate, didn't know exactly what the Benefactor looked like. ...Well, at least now he had a hint...

To his relief, the Benefactor said, "We are close, aren't we?"

"Yes, sir," replied Alastair. "We are half an hour away. What are your next orders?"

"What do you think?" Even in the darkness, the Benefactor's bare-toothed grin was distinguishable. "These fools have no idea what is coming for them."

Alastair raised his head for a fraction of an inch. "So, sir, shall we attack?"

The Benefactor chuckled darkly before replying, "Yes." He made a dismissive wave with his hand. "Let's show those fools who has true mastery over the world."

"Yes, sir."

Alastair nodded loyally before leaving the room in a haste. As he did, he could hear the Benefactor sitting back down on his throne, no doubt savoring the suspense of the impending attack on Lumiose City and the ultimate reveal. He couldn't blame him, however.

After all, he could barely wait himself.

* * *

**Chapter 22: Seven Mighty Warriors**

* * *

**Unknown location**

_He was _back here_ again... That dark, cloudy place... The one where he couldn't move at all, just watch._

_Watch. That's all he could ever do. Just like when the Time Tower collapsed. He couldn't do anything about it._

_He saw the images again. Cloudy and unclear, he could only remember bits and pieces of it, as usual. But this time, he saw more, and the ones he did remember were more clear, though still indistinguishable. It was as if he were viewing the images through a clearing fog. That was helpful..._right_?..._

_He saw **the Time Tower collapsing, reduced to a pile of rubble**._

_He saw **a massive herd of Pokémon, of all kinds, converging at the base of some mountain**._

_He saw **a mysterious man with a Charizard bearing an odd color and shape**._

_He saw **Dialga and Giratina leading several Legendary Pokémon against**..._

_He saw **a gargantuan wave looming over a helpless town, threatening to destroy it**._

_He saw **a young girl he didn't know, around ten years old, kneeling down in the middle of a forest, screaming**._

_He saw **someone he could only pinpoint as Ash, Dawn, or Brock being killed by**..._

_He saw **Arceus**..._

_He saw-_

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters  
Near Lumiose City, Kalos**

"Damn," muttered Charon angrily. The scientist gazed at the television screen, which was showing the aforementioned images in split-seconds, as if they were on a slideshow set at a high speed. "Damn it all. Still not getting anything useful. Just fragments."

"Do you think the device isn't adjusted well enough?" asked another scientist. "I don't think we put it on right." He cautiously approached the operating table nearby. "Maybe we should-"

"NO!" Charon glared at his partner. "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH THAT!"

The scientist immediately took a couple of steps back. "Okay, okay, message received!"

"It's sensitive equipment, you idiot. It wasn't exactly designed to monitor the brain activity of _humans_. The Benefactor ordered me to adjust it for this kind of setting and then use it for this risky procedure." He glared at the body on the operating table. "Should it be interfered with, the device could _kill_ our little guinea pig. _Really_ wish he would've let me make a completely new device from scratch so we can avoid potential repercussions, but orders are orders, I suppose..."

"Really?" The scientist's eyes widened as he gazed upon the body. "Then...who or what exactly was that device originally designed for?"

"Still top-secret. Just keep an eye on him."

The scientist blinked in confusion, but Charon merely turned his back on him and began to adjust the machine in front of him, which was holding up the TV screen both were viewing. Charon's partner watched him at first, then refocused his gaze on the unconscious man lying on the operating table.

* * *

**Lumiose City**

"I'm telling you guys, I think Ash is cheating on Hilda! OW!"

"Please do _not_ make me hit you again, dude."

"Pika..."

Serena, Hilbert, Clemont, Brock, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor continued their search for Ash in the northwestern area of Lumiose City. Pikachu was also at attention while perched on Serena's shoulder. However, it was still proving to be fruitless, and to make matters even worse, dark and massive clouds were forming over Lumiose City, signaling the arrival of a big storm. Indeed, a single raindrop fell from the gray sky and hit the bridge of Brock's nose, startling him for a moment.

"Um, Serena?" he asked.

"If you're going to say we should put the search on hold because of this storm, Brock," replied Serena without looking at the Doctor, "then forget it. We're going to find Ash and sort out his problems with him, because that's what he would do for us. He would go out of his way to help us address whatever's troubling us, no matter what the obstacles are, and guide us to the light at the end of the tunnel! Ash now has his own problems and I fully intend on helping him fix them! If you don't want to, be my guest!"

"Pika-pika!" added Pikachu in agreement.

Brock stared at Serena, his mouth ajar at her determination.

_"She got that determination from a certain someone..."_ he thought. Then, he spoke aloud, "Yes, that's true, Serena."

The group of seven, plus the Mouse Pokémon, continued walking further down the sidewalk they were currently on. During the entire walk, they could feel small raindrops pelt the tops of their heads, but the prospect of getting a little wet failed to daunt any of them. By the time they were nearing Jaune Plaza, a soft drizzle was falling upon Lumiose City, and some people in the streets decided to take shelter. However, the group still made their way into the plaza, where other pedestrians and tourists were milling about.

"So, why are we here in Jaune Plaza, Serena?" asked Shauna.

"Well," replied Serena, "knowing Ash, he'd go somewhere scenic. He likes the outdoors, so anything nice-looking is bound to calm him down and keep his mind off his troubles." She then scanned the large crowds in search of the raven-haired Trainer. "Now, where _exactly_ would he be if he were here?..."

"Probably beside a good-looking food stand or something like that," Brock replied. "Food calms Ash down as well, and he will want to make himself as comfortable to the environment as possible. Even if it means adding on a few pounds or so."

"And maybe under some shelter," added Clemont. "I doubt he'd wanna eat and calm down under this gloomy weather."

"Then he'd probably be sitting inside one of the cafés."

"Well then," Serena said, "we should probably start searching all the cafés in this general area-"

"Hey, what's that?" a voice asked.

"Yeah, what the heck _is_ that?" a second voice asked in equaled confusion.

"What in Arceus's _name_?" asked a third.

"Huh?"

Serena, Pikachu, Hilbert, Clemont, Brock, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor followed the confused and even shocked gazes of many others, which were directed towards the gray, cloudy, raining sky. At first, they couldn't see anything at all, and they wondered what it was that could catch everyone's attention like that.

Then, they saw it.

It parted through the clouds like a person passing through a curtain; a capsule-like device that almost resembled an upside-down building, complete with a menacing-looking spire. At first, everyone was confused about its odd presence. Then, the clouds parted even more with an eerie mechanical noise, revealing the owner of the device. Its intimidating, authoritative presence drew shocked and horrified gasps from the audience on the ground.

It was a gargantuan airship, kept aloft by a series of rotating fans situated on dozens of notches arranged in a concentric circle, and on the side of the craft. It resembled something out of a children's storybook.

"Oh my _Arceus_..." Hilbert gasped.

"That is...so _unbelievable_..." added Clemont.

"What...What is _that_?" asked Serena in absolute shock.

As for Pikachu, its cheeks were sparkling intensely with volts of electricity.

* * *

Elsewhere in Lumiose City, everyone else was seeing this shocking sight.

* * *

**Hilda White and Hilbert Black's Summer Getaway Mansion  
The Seventh District**

At the moment, Bonnie, Dedenne, Hilda, Misty, May, Max, Dawn, Iris, Cilan, Melody, Macy, Anabel, Angie, Lisia, and Zoey, along with several BW Agency service personnel, were trying to cope with the disaster at Alamos Town. Unfortunately, they saw it on the live news report, parting through the clouds.

All of them were silent.

* * *

**Autumnal Avenue**

Miette's eyes widened in horror as she watched the airship emerge through the clouds, as did the nearby Drew, Barry, Kenny, Ursula, and Bianca.

"My _Arceus_..." stuttered Miette.

* * *

**M Electronics**

No one's eyes were focused on the television sets situated behind the storefront windows, for it was easy for them to watch the airship make its appearance. Among the crowd of onlookers was Grace and Diane, the latter of whom was cautiously stepping away from everyone else. She could feel the presence of an _unearthly_ aura, which was emanating from that airship...

_"I have to get away from here,"_ she thought. _"As soon as possible..."_

At the corner of her eye, two fast-moving shadows suddenly caught her attention. Flicking her head towards the rooftop of the electronics store, she could only see two blurs, both colored in red, charcoal-gray, and white...

* * *

**Lysandre Labs  
Hidden within Lysandre Café  
Magenta Plaza**

Lysandre, Xerosic, Dace, and the Carbink servants watched the live news report. The latter two were in utter shock as they watched the airship make its appearance, but the former two were calm and composed, as if they anticipated such an occurrence.

"This is not good," Xerosic remarked.

"Not good at all," replied Lysandre, nodding his head in agreement. "Especially since Diancie is still out there in the city."

"Lysandre, sir!" Dace exclaimed, turning towards the redheaded man. "We must go out and retrieve Princess Diancie at once!"

"My Team Flare grunts are already on it. You must remain in here and keep yourself calm. Panicking will not help the situation."

"But what if the enemy grabs Diancie before your men can get to her?!"

"Don't worry, Dace." A smile appeared on Lysandre's face. "We have that covered as well."

* * *

**Sycamore Laboratories  
Southern Lumiose City**

Professor Sycamore, Sophie, and Cosette gasped in shock and horror as they saw the airship on the television set in their lunchroom. Sycamore narrowed his eyes and abruptly stood up from his chair, startling his two female assistants.

"Professor?" asked Sophie.

"Sophie, Cosette," Sycamore said, "stay here and watch the Pokémon in the lab. Keep them safe from any harm if it reaches this building."

"But what're you gonna do, Professor?" Cosette asked.

"I'm going to assist in any way I can. I will be back."

With that, the Pokémon Professor ran out of the room as fast as he could.

* * *

**The local prison**

From their holding cell, Floyd, Lloyd, Sid, Cecile, Burke, and the three Lumiose City Gangsters watched the television set situated in front of the two guards, who were also watching intently. Lloyd snickered malevolently as he observed the airship appearing near the Prism Tower.

"This could be _good_ for us..." he said.

However, Sid shook his head in disapproval. "How the hell is _that_ supposed to be good for us?" he asked. "For all we know, that thing's probably an alien death machine that'll shoot down a beam of destruction upon the city and destroy it!"

"Sounds like a movie I once watched," remarked Burke.

"Guys, shut up!" snapped Cecile. "I'm watching!"

No one noticed the concerned expression forming on Floyd's face.

* * *

**The battlefield  
Eastern Lumiose City**

Khoury and Lyra were engaged in a practice battle with their Pokémon when they heard the mechanical groaning of the airship. Looking up to investigate the source of the noise, they immediately saw it, protruding from the clouds, hovering near the Prism Tower.

"What the heck is that?!" exclaimed Lyra.

"I don't know," Khoury replied, "but we should go check it out!"

"Right!"

And with that, the two Trainers dashed towards the Prism Tower, followed closely by their Pokémon.

* * *

**The Prism Tower**

Paul was wandering around the tattered remains of what was once the Pokémon World Festival, reminiscing about the Lumiose City Disaster. Lots of damage had definitely been done during that event, he mused, and it was a miracle that many people decided to intervene and work together as a team to prevent any and all fatalities. This included none other than Ash Ketchum...

He frowned, just as he could hear all the people around him gasping in shock. Looking up, he immediately identified Trip, who was standing near him and looking up at the sky.

"Hey," the purple-haired Trainer greeted, approaching the Unova native. "What's up?"

Trip pointed off to a specific direction. "That," he replied. "_That's_ what's up."

Paul followed the direction of Trip's finger and immediately saw the capsule-like device as it emerged from the bank of clouds. While people were gasping in shock or running away in fear, Paul and Trip were among only a few people who remained calm and composed despite the situation.

"I sense a huge battle coming up," Trip remarked, a grin appearing on his face. He took out a Poké Ball. "Shall we play this game again? Compare the numbers of how many enemies we take down once this is all over?"

Paul smirked as he procured a Poké Ball of his own. "Challenge accepted," he replied. "Hopefully you're at the top of your game this time."

Trip's smile widened. "I'm _always_ at the top of my game."

"Says the person who was one Pokémon behind me last time."

The smile turned into a frown as Trip snarled in response, "I won't lose this time."

* * *

A few feet away from Paul and Trip, Alain, Mairin, and Chespie were also watching as the airship made its grand appearance. The shady Trainer immediately looked down at Mairin.

"I want you to get out of here," he said.

"What?!" Mairin cried, her eyes wide. "But-But _why_?"

Memories of the Syndicate intel given to him flashed across Alain's mind. "This could be bad news." He looked back up at the airship, his eyes narrow. "You might not be able to handle all of it, unlike what happened during the so-called Lumiose City Disaster. Get out of here and find shelter, as quickly as you can. I will try and fend them off from here." He looked back down at Mairin. "Go, now!"

"But I-"

"GO!"

Mairin's eyes widened, shocked at the urgency in Alain's tone. Staring into his stern eyes, she realized something was wrong about the whole situation. However, for now, she could do nothing but agree with her friend.

So, she nodded and ran away reluctantly.

* * *

**Lumiose City International Airport**

The gigantic airship was the first thing for incoming foreigners and tourists to see as they stepped out of the airport's terminals. They were all rooted in their positions, forming a crowd; some were taking pictures with their phones or cameras. Among the crowd of shocked onlookers, one particular woman was grimacing in terror.

"I'm too late..." she muttered.

* * *

**Magenta Plaza**

Jimmy and Vincent were enjoying a casual lunch and get-together with Marina at the plaza when they heard it. They were one of the first people at the plaza to spot the airship as it emerged through the clouds.

"What the hell is THAT?" cried Vincent. "That's so FREAKY!"

"It looks like trouble," Jimmy replied, his eyes narrowing. "We should ready ourselves, in case this is anything bad!"

"Agreed!" exclaimed Marina, pulling out a Poké Ball.

However, Vincent looked completely dismayed. "Aw, man! As if the Lumiose City Disaster wasn't enough trouble for me!"

* * *

**The PWT Battle Club**

Hugh, his family, Don George, Ritchie, Harrison, Tyson, Nando, and all of the other Trainers were congregated outside the PWT Battle Club building, watching on in shock as the airship's capsule-like device pierced through the gray clouds. Hugh was standing in front of his sister, his posture defensive.

"Hugh..." Carrie whimpered, hiding behind her brother's leg along with Purrloin. "I'm _scared_. What _is_ that?"

"I don't know, Carrie," Hugh replied. "I just don't know. For now, I want you to stay beside me at all times. Will you do that, Carrie?"

"I will..."

Meanwhile, Ritchie, Harrison, Tyson, and Nando were staring intently at the airship, all of them sensing that it could be trouble.

* * *

**Hotel Richissime  
North Boulevard**

The hotel rooms of both the Dream Team and Cynthia were both empty, with the TV sets still blaring.

* * *

**Bleu Plaza**

Cameron gasped in shock and pointed towards the airship as it came into full view.

"What the heck is _that_?!" he shouted in the midst of his surprise.

Nate's brown eyes narrowed angrily as he watched on. All around him, he could hear other pedestrians gasping in shock at the airship's abrupt appearance, with some even running away from the scene or bursting into tears. He couldn't blame them, though. There was no doubt his assumptions about the airship were correct, and that this abnormal occurrence could only result in the worst of disasters known to the world.

"The Syndicate..." he growled under his breath.

"What was that, man?" asked Cameron, looking at his newfound friend.

"They're bad news." Nate glared at Cameron and Lucario. "I want you guys to take cover."

"What?! But...But what're _you_ gonna do?!"

"I'd rather not say. If you value your life, then do what I say. Go!"

The undercover International Police agent began running towards the Prism Tower, surprising Cameron even more.

"Hey, wait a minute!" the Unova Trainer cried. "Henry! Where're you going?!"

* * *

**Hibernal Avenue**

Upon hearing the menacing, mechanical groaning that was permeating the air, Lucas stared up calmly at the airship as it began to appear in the skies, while everyone else around him was gasping in shock and watching on in awe.

"Looks like you came," he said in a low, almost inaudible whisper. "_Father_..."

Seeing the direction where the airship was going, Lucas began running towards the Prism Tower, a look of absolute determination etched on his face.

* * *

**Various areas of the city**

All across Lumiose City, the Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, Champions, Frontier Brains, Top Coordinators, and other notable participants of the PWT were rushing out of their hotels and other temporary residences to respond to what they believed to be an impending threat.

* * *

**North Boulevard**

Calem's eyes narrowed as he watched the airship pierce through the clouds. He immediately established a mental link with Xerneas.

"Are you seeing this, Xerneas?" he asked.

_**"Yes,"**_ replied the Life Pokémon. _**"Me and Greninja are on our way. Respond in whatever you can."**_

"Of course."

Once the mental link was de-established, Calem immediately broke into a mad dash towards Prism Tower. He didn't know what was going on, but he could tell the Dark Aura User he met earlier was involved somehow...

* * *

**At the top of Prism Tower**

The tall man's blood-red eyes glinted with intense emotion as rain droplets dripped from his dark-brown hair and white-and-red cap. His lips curved into a triumphant smirk as he watched the airship's capsule-like device break through the crowds with its dagger-like spire. As the airship came into fuller view to everyone on the ground, he immediately held out his arms, as if he were embracing the arrival of Arceus Himself.

"REJOICE!" he shouted out to the heavens. "WE ARE ONE STEP CLOSER TO SALVATION!"

The air was permeated by the man's malicious, maniacal laughter, heard by no one but himself. It sliced through the atmosphere like a sword cutting through paper.

* * *

**Rouge Plaza**

There were no words to be said.

Ash didn't know what to do. He could only remain rooted to his spot, watching in terror as the airship made its grand and horrifying appearance through the gray bank of storm-clouds. He didn't care if he was getting wet from the drizzle, he didn't care if the loud mechanical moaning of the familiar machine was tearing through the air, he didn't care if people all around him were capable of expressing their reactions better than he could. The raven-haired Trainer could only rationalize standing there in his original position, paralyzed, taking in this abnormal, wondrous yet terrifying sight.

His paralysis was finally broken when Leaf grasped his hand, her low voice filling his ear like a snake's hiss.

"What're you going to do about this, Ash?" she asked. "Are you going to stand there like a rock and do nothing? Or are you going to be a hero and do what is right?"

"I...I don't _know_..." Ash let out in response. "I don't know..."

"What do you mean 'you don't know'? I think you've made your decision already. But tell me, do you think it's the right decision to make?" Leaf leaned in closer, her lips almost touching his ear. "You know, it's not too late to change your mind. The bad guy is only making his grand entrance. He hasn't done anything else." She let go of his hand. "You'd better act quickly, Ash, before things get any worse than it already is. Don't worry, I'm right behind you."

Ash pursed his lips and, after a moment of consideration, finally nodded. Leaf grinned in satisfaction.

"That's my Ash..." she said.

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters  
In the skies of Lumiose City**

In the headquarters' control center, the many grunts, supervised by Charon, continued operating all of the technology necessary to keep the airship in the skies. A grin appeared on Charon's face as Lumiose City's skyline appeared on the hologram map illuminated in front of him and everyone else.

"Sir," a Team Galactic grunt announced, looking at the Syndicate lieutenant, "we have arrived at Lumiose City."

"Oh, really?" asked Charon, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I never noticed."

The grunt's eyelid twitched, but she continued, "Your orders?"

"Keep the airship in the air, and don't do anything else. Do not even fire one gun once." The scientist turned his back on the grunts. "I shall report this to the Benefactor at once. Further instructions will be provided to you at his discretion. Understood, everyone?"

"YES, SIR!" chorused all of the grunts, saluting their supervisor.

* * *

In the private throne room, Alastair, Curtis, and Brodie surveyed Lumiose City through the hologram map of their own. Behind them, the Benefactor remained seated on his throne, still shrouded in the darkest of shadows. The Syndicate leader tapped his fingers against the armrest of his chair.

"How marvelous," Alastair said with glee. "Things are going according to plan..."

"Soon, the world will know its true masters!" exclaimed Brodie.

"Yes..." the Benefactor replied. Then, he raised his head for a fraction of an inch. "Yes, Charon?"

The former Team Galactic scientist silently stepped inside the room, bowing before his superior.

"Benefactor, sir," he greeted. "I require your final confirmation. Then will I be able to give the order."

The Benefactor's lips curved into a sinister sneer.

"Do it."

Charon smiled malevolently as well. "As you wish, Benefactor sir. I shall do your bidding at once."

He left as quickly and silent as he came, just as a beeping noise filled the room. Confused, Alastair then reached into his pocket and pulled out an Xtransceiver.

"Oh, it's Rosa..." he said.

"Alastair," Curtis replied in warning, "Rosa's new orders have yet to be relayed to her." He glanced at the Xtransceiver worriedly. "I guess you should fill her in right now."

"I guess so." Alastair pressed on a button, and Rosa's image immediately appeared on the Xtransceiver screen. "Hello, Rosa-"

"Don't you hello me, Alastair!" snapped the teenage girl furiously. She was wearing an expression of unrivaled fury, with a hint of some confusion. "What the hell?! You give me a mission to infiltrate the PWT and help manipulate events to the Syndicate's liking, but all of a sudden, you guys just waltz in here with your damn big airship! I'm only a day into my mission! What the hell is going on here?!"

Alastair shook his head. "I apologize, my dear Rosa, but I'm afraid your orders have changed. It appears they were not delivered to you just yet, so I guess I shall be the one to shoulder that responsibility."

"Well then, shoulder that Arceus-damn responsibility and give me my new orders!"

Alastair blinked at Rosa's fury, but calmly replied, "You were to remain on standby until our arrival here at Lumiose. Now that we're here, I want you to return to base."

"And why am I returning to base?" Rosa asked suspiciously.

"That's confidential. Just meet up with me, and your next instructions will be given then."

"Uh-huh. And _how_ exactly am I gonna be able to return to base?"

"Go to Prism Tower, get inside, and climb up to the rooftop. A transport jet will be waiting for you there. Alright? Alastair, out."

"What?! Wai-"

However, the Syndicate lieutenant already hung up on Rosa and put his Xtransceiver away. In the background, the Benefactor tutted and shook his head.

"Children," the Syndicate leader said. "Always in need of a lesson in manners."

Alastair sighed heavily and shook his head as well. "You've got that right, Benefactor sir."

* * *

Saturn narrowed his blue eyes as he followed Jupiter, Mars, and several grunts, Team Galactic and otherwise, onto the transport jet. He had just received the order from Charon (ironically so), and now, he had to carry it out. He wondered if there was going to be a catch with these newest instructions, just like with the Oración mission. He wondered if the true purpose of their mission was to blow up Prism Tower and cause it to implode on itself, threatening his and the squad's lives in the process. Did the Benefactor have any concern for his inferiors?! What was the purpose if this whole alliance, anyway?!

That was only two of many questions the Team Galactic Commander had in his mind ever since that fateful meeting with Alastair, the self-proclaimed representative of the Benefactor. Jupiter and Mars may have been swayed to the Syndicate's favor, but Saturn knew there was more to it than just the goal of world conquest. He was not dumb or blind. He learned a lot from his past experiences with Cyrus. And the first thing he learned was to never trust anyone with an enticing offer in their hand.

He knew there was something else going on, but he didn't know what. For now. Till then, he had no choice but to play along.

"Saturn!" Mars's voice shouted, bringing the blue-haired Commander back to reality. "Do you have the flash-drive?"

Saturn blinked, then reached into his pocket and produced the device in question.

"Right here, Mars," he replied without emotion. "Right here. There's no need to worry."

* * *

**The Prism Tower  
****A few minutes later**

The transport jet flew out of the open hatch of the airship's underside, and flew towards the Prism Tower at a moderate speed. Slowing down to a gradual stop by the rooftop of the tower, the pilots opened the jet's rear door and positioned the aerial vehicle a couple of feet above said rooftop.

"Alright, it's time to go!" announced the copilot.

"Alright, go, go, go!" shouted Jupiter.

The grunts all immediately unbuckled themselves from their seats, stood up, and jumped out of the jet, landing safely on the roof. Once Saturn and Mars jumped out, leaving Jupiter alone with the pilots, the purple-haired woman looked at the two men.

"Circle around the tower," she instructed. "Stop anyone from trying to intervene."

"As you command, ma'am," the pilot replied, nodding.

Jupiter nodded back and then jumped out of the jet, landing on the rooftop with ease. She was immediately greeted with the presences of Saturn and Mars.

"Mars, the schematics?" she asked.

"Right here," the redheaded Commander replied, whipping out a rolled-up sheet of paper from her pocket and unfurling it. The three Commanders examined it while the grunts stood on guard. "According to the schematics, the tower's motherboard should be somewhere on the twentieth floor, same floor as the Gym battlefield. We must be wary, for we have intel that the Gym Leader created a robot, likely for security purposes."

"I believe we have the firepower to handle a mere robot," Saturn replied flatly.

"Once we're there, we should be able to access all of the electricity flowing through Lumiose City. This should give us an easy doorway into all the televisions in the city."

"Yes..." said Jupiter, smiling slightly. "Well then, let's get moving, everyone! We have no time to waste and the Syndicate has some conquering to do, so let's get to it!"

"Right!" chorused the grunts at once.

* * *

**In the skies of Kalos**

The two advanced fighter jets flew through the many storm-clouds at high speeds, breaking the sound barrier a few times in the process of their journey. Inside the jet flying at the right of the duo, the pilot, a fair-skinned man, sighed and activated his line of communication with the other jet.

"Man, it's been a long time since we used these babies," he said. "Barnes, you think this is a good idea? Our skills might be a little rusty."

"Well, we have no other choice, Stone," the other pilot replied. "That live report at Lumiose is definitely not lying. There's definitely some sort of airship hovering over the city, unauthorized so. We have to respond and engage it if necessary."

"Dude, did you see the _size_ of that damn thing? We're gonna more than missiles to bring it down."

"Stone, just because the airship's big doesn't mean it has high endurance. You know the saying: never judge a book by its cover. But we'll find out for sure once we're given the order. For now, we have to get to Lumiose and make sure that thing doesn't do anything funny."

A couple of minutes were spent in silence. Then, the pilot named Stone spoke up again.

"I feel like we're in some movie."

"Uhhhh...what do you mean, Stone?" asked Barnes.

Stone sighed and shook his head. "Dude, have you seen every alien invasion movie there is? When the bad guy makes his appearance, there's always someone who's the first victim. I bet you we're the guys who are gonna die first in this story."

"Stone, that's not funny, man."

"Dude, I can _smell_ all the cliches hanging around this scenario." He fell silent for a couple of seconds. "Just sayin'."

"Not funny, man. Not funny _at all_."

The jets continued to fly towards their intended destination.

* * *

**The Prism Tower  
Lumiose City, Kalos**

Serena, Pikachu, Hilbert, Clemont, Brock, Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor ran up to the base of the Prism Tower. There, they found a crowd of onlookers already gathering, all looking up in confusion and shock at the arriving airship. Trevor followed their gazes and was quick to notice something.

"Hey, guys!" the orange-haired Trainer shouted, pointing up to the top of the tower. "What's that?"

The others followed the direction of his finger and spotted the object in question as it revolved around the tower.

"That...That looks like a jet of some sort," replied Clemont as he examined the vehicle's features. "The design is unfamiliar to me, but it doesn't look like it's suited for combat. I'm assuming it's instead being used to transport people."

"So...there are _people_ in there?" asked Serena.

"What kind of people own aircraft and technology like that?" Hilbert asked in shock.

"Not the good kind of people, I'll tell you," someone snarled.

Everyone glanced behind them, and saw a number of familiar faces running up to them: Bonnie, Dedenne, Hilda, Misty, May, Max, Dawn, Iris, Cilan, Melody, Macy, Anabel, Angie, Lisia, and Zoey.

"What're you guys doing here?!" exclaimed Serena.

"Here to help, that's why!" Misty replied. She then looked up at the airship with narrowed eyes. "I've seen that thing before."

"WHAT?!" everyone cried simultaneously.

"Where'd you see that thing, Misty?!" asked Shauna.

"The Orange Islands," replied Melody, who was also wearing a furious expression on her face. "Ash, Misty, another friend, and I came across that same thing six years ago...and we met its owner. He was really bad news."

"In what way?"

Before Melody could respond, another voice called out to them.

"HEY, YOU GUYS!"

Four more familiar faces were running up to the group, surprising everyone else.

"Ritchie!" Misty cried.

"Harrison!" Brock exclaimed.

"Tyson!" May shouted.

"Nando?" asked Dawn.

"What're you guys doing here?!" Iris exclaimed.

"Here to help, that's what!" Ritchie replied, giving the group a thumbs-up. "What, did you think this was the BW Agency's idea of a welcoming wagon for the PWT?"

"Excuse me," snarled Hilda, startling the Trainer. "I don't appreciate that kind of sarcasm towards my company."

Ritchie immediately sweat-dropped. "S-Sorry..."

"So, what're we gonna do?" asked Bonnie, looking back up at the airship. "Those are obviously bad guys up there. What're we gonna do to stop them from doing whatever mean stuff they're planning on doing?"

"Well, first off," Clemont replied, grabbing his younger sister by her shoulders, "I'm going to take you home."

Bonnie's eyes widened in horror. "WHAT?! WHY?!"

"Dedenne?!" added Dedenne.

"If we're dealing with something as big as that thing, then it's going to be too dangerous for you if you stay here. I'm taking you back home right now-"

"NO!" Bonnie tore away from her brother's grip. "YOU WOULDN'T LET ME HELP LAST TIME! I WANNA HELP **NOW**!"

"But Bonnie-"

"Don't you Bonnie me, Clemont!" interrupted the little girl. "I wanna help you guys beat those bad people up there! I wanna help!"

Clemont's eyelid twitched. The inventor prepared to scold Bonnie like he usually does, but before he could do so...

"Bonnie, he's right," May suddenly piped up, catching the girl's attention. "This may already be bigger than what happened last time. We can't risk losing you if anything happens." She then knelt down and grasped Bonnie's shoulders. "It's alright, I'll go with you if you want me to."

The seven-year-old pouted, but replied calmly, "Alright..."

"Dedenne..." Dedenne added, nodding glumly in agreement.

Clemont's eyelid twitched again. Once again, his little sister was preferring _May_ over him. It was really unsettling to him...

His lips pursed as he watched May grab Bonnie's hand.

"Come on, this way," the Top Coordinator said as she led the little girl away from the scene.

Clemont watched them go with narrowed eyes, after which his musings were interrupted by a hand latching onto his shoulder. Turning back, he stared into sapphire-blue eyes, staring at him so intensely that it almost made him blush in embarrassment.

"We're gonna be fine, Clemont," Serena said. "Don't worry."

Remembering that he was supposed to go with them, the inventor nodded at her and then dashed off after the two girls, all the while feeling defensive for his sister. He never noticed Max watching the trio leave, eyeing May distastefully in particular.

* * *

Nate ran up to the crowd that was gathered around the base of the Prism Tower and tried to move through it, but found that it was too thick, with the onlookers too perplexed to notice anything else around them. He prepared to activate his Xtransceiver to contact Looker when someone accidentally bumped into him.

"Oh, my Arceus!" a female voice exclaimed. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"No, pardon me," replied Nate, looking at the speaker. He immediately identified her as May Maple, a Top Coordinator and one of the celebrity participants for the PWT (and, admittedly, one of his celebrity crushes). The Hoenn native was accompanied by an older boy and a little girl who was clutching May's hand, both of whom sported identical blond hair. His eyes widened in surprise at this unexpected appearance. "Whoa, May Maple!"

"Nice to meet you, but now's not the time for autographs!" May exclaimed as she sidestepped Nate, half-dragging the girl along with her while the boy followed right behind them with a somber look in his eyes.

Nate watched them go for a couple of seconds, then noticed Cameron running up to him with his Lucario trailing behind him.

"Yo, Henry!" Cameron called. "Wait up!"

"C-_Cameron_?" asked Nate. "What're _you_ doing here?! I told you to take cover!"

"I know you said that, but I'd rather prefer we both take cover together. That or face off against that thing, whatever it is" He looked up at the airship. "Who knows what's up with that thing-?"

"Look, Cameron," the disguised student interrupted, grasping his newfound friend's shoulders and staring deeply into his eyes with a stern look, "I appreciate you wanting to follow me despite the risks and all, but I'm afraid this is all too much for you to handle!"

"And it's enough for _you_ to handle?" Cameron shook himself away from Nate's grip and crossed his arms. "We stick together through thick and thin, man! Friends till the end no matter what, remember?!"

Lucario grunted aggressively in agreement. Nate blinked in surprise at Cameron's determination and legitimate concern for him.

"O-Of course I remember that, Cameron. But...But I'm afraid-"

"Of what? If that thing turns out to be trouble, then we'll face off against the odds!"

"Cameron, you have no IDEA on what you're dealing with!"

"Neither do you!" Then, the Unova Trainer's eyes widened. "Unless...you _do_?..."

Nate pursed his lips, realizing Cameron was starting to realize his cover. He prepared to confess his secret to his friend when...

"EVERYONE LISTEN UP!" a familiar voice shouted. Nate and Cameron twirled to the side, as did everyone else, and saw the Dream Team converging at the central plaza, with Looker in the lead. He quickly whipped out and flashed his badge to the audience. "WE'RE THE INTERNATIONAL POLICE, G-MEN, AND RANGERS! WE REQUEST ALL OF YOU TO EVACUATE THE AREA AND TAKE SHELTER IN YOUR HOMES **IMMEDIATELY**! GO, GO, GO!"

"YOU HEARD THE MAN!" Jackie added. "GET OUTTA HERE WHILE YOU STILL CAN!"

All of the onlookers obeyed in an instant and proceeded to swarm away from the Prism Tower. Before Nate and Cameron could react, they found themselves caught in the midst of a crowd moving hastily away. The force against both Trainers was almost like a violently rushing stream.

"HENRY!" roared Cameron over the worried clamor of the crowd. "HEY, HENRY! WHERE ARE YA?!"

Nate wanted to respond, but held the urge back as he moved his way through the evacuees, towards the position where he saw the Dream Team at. He managed to find his way out of the crowd within minutes and instantly spotted Looker and the others running towards the tower. After looking back to check if Cameron was still at the scene, the student then ran after the Dream Team as fast as he possibly could.

"HEY, LOOKER!" he called. "GUYS!"

Looker and the others turned around and immediately recognized their undercover agent.

"Nate?!" exclaimed Looker. "What're _you_ doing here?!"

"Helping you, what does it look like?!"

"I think you've done enough work here, kid," Lunick replied. "Now you should leave this to us."

"WHAT?! But-But I wanna-"

"Don't waste your breath, boy," interrupted Archer in a taunting drawl. "Time for you to step aside and let the _professionals_ handle this."

Looker glared sternly at Archer for a moment, then turned back to Nate with a pitiful expression.

"Wording and tone aside, he's right, Nate," the International Police agent said. "This is perilous territory you're wandering into, and you're still too young to handle this kind of duty. Please, just go with the other citizens and let us handle it from here." He turned to Tedesco. "Tedesco, accompany Nate, please. Protect him if the worst is to happen."

"Of course," Tedesco replied. He walked up to a shocked Nate and placed a hand over his shoulder. "Come on, Nate, we've gotta go."

"But I wanna-"

"I've _spoken_ on the matter, Nate," Looker interrupted sternly. "Go."

Nate's lower jaw dropped open, but he didn't protest, allowing the others, sans Tedesco, to continue running towards the Prism Tower. He felt Tedesco's grip on his shoulder tighten slightly.

"Come on, Nate," the older agent said. "We've gotta get outta here while we still can."

Again, Nate couldn't protest as he was half-dragged away from the vicinity.

* * *

**Estival Avenue**

Rosa furiously marched towards the central area of Lumiose City, grumbling to herself and cursing under her breath. She couldn't believe this was happening. After proving her worth to Alastair, the Benefactor, and the Syndicate, after so long, she gets sent on a personal mission to further the organization's glory. Never before had she felt so overjoyed! But then, they make their grand entrance before she could even do anything, and her orders have changed. The blasphemy of it all! Did the Syndicate hold even a modicum of trust in her?! Did they _truly_ believe in her worth when she helped them snag Reshiram back at Pinwheel Forest?! She doubted it...

"Stupid Alastair..." she mumbled. "Stupid Benefactor... Stupid Syndicate... Do they not _trust_ me to do stuff for them?!" She looked down and spotted at a loose pebble sitting on the sidewalk. "Damn it! Damn it all! DAMN IT **ALL!**"

She immediately kicked at the pebble and watched it skip across the concrete surface the pebble, then eventually clatter to a stop. At the same time, the undercover Syndicate agent heard a loud clamoring of voices talking incomprehensibly. Looking back up, Rosa's eyes widened at the sight of dozens, maybe hundreds of citizens walking away from the Prism Tower at a fast pace. Looking at both of her sides, she spotted an open grooming salon next to her and ran inside, closing the door behind her. She then watched helplessly through the storefront window as a thick crowd of pedestrians began flooding past the building, preventing her from exiting and resuming her mission.

_"Damn it,"_ she thought bitterly. _"This is just great. I'm now stuck in this grooming salon while the Syndicate is initiating its grand scheme without me! How wonderful!"_

* * *

**The Prism Tower**

Serena, Pikachu, Hilbert, and the others approached the secret doorway of the Prism Tower, where they noticed the special lock on the wall next to it. Realizing the group needed Clemont's Aipom Arm to activate the lock and therefore grant them passage, Serena sighed heavily and placed a hand on her face.

"Oh, no!" she moaned. "We need Clemont for this... I should've remembered that!"

"Pika..." moaned Pikachu, his ears drooping in realization.

"At this point, we cannot wait any longer," Brock said, stepping forward and producing a Poké Ball. "Come on out, Croagunk! We need you!"

The aspiring Pokémon Doctor threw the Poké Ball, unleashing the Toxic Mouth Pokémon. He croaked and crossed his arms coolly, just before Brock pointed at the door.

"Croagunk, use Brick Break!" he commanded. "Bring down that reinforced door!"

Croagunk quickly jumped into the air, its hand glowing white, and violently slammed said hand against the door, shattering it into pieces.

"Perfect!" Dawn exclaimed.

"Simply fabulous!" cried Lisia, looking impressed at Croagunk's movements.

"That's great, Brock!" added Misty. She then smirked at Brock playfully. "But I guess that makes you the one to pay Clemont the bill for destroying that door."

"All joking aside, let's get on it!" Serena exclaimed as Brock sweat-dropped nervously. The Performer looked at Melody's direction. "If you say these people are bad, then we have to do something about this! Who knows what the person or people inside that airship are up to?"

"Are you sure about responding to this, young lady?" asked a familiar voice. Everyone looked behind them and saw a large group of Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, Champions, and other PWT participants, led by none other than...

"Cynthia!" Dawn shouted. "Please, you've gotta help us! Those people-"

The former Sinnoh Champion silenced her with a stern glare and replied, "The only thing I'm going to help you children with is evacuating. This place is too dangerous!"

"Yeah!" Flint added. "You guys need to get outta here before we all regret it!"

"But we wanna help you guys!" Lisia cried.

"No, Lisia," replied Wallace, shaking his head in disapproval. "You and the others could get hurt, or worse."

"But Uncle Wall-"

"No buts!" Diantha interrupted, stepping forward beside Cynthia. "Cynthia's right; you all need to get out of here while you still can."

"And why are _you_ all here, if you think it's so dangerous here?" Cilan asked, crossing his arms.

"We're all experienced enough to handle this," Steven replied.

"Yeah," added Lt. Surge. "We don't have our ranks as Gym Leader, Champion, etc. all for nothing, you know!"

"Wait a minute!" Anabel exclaimed, stepping forward. "I'm a Kanto Frontier Brain; I have every right to stand beside you guys in battle!"

"That you do, Anabel," Noland replied, "but the others don't. They're all too young and inexperienced in this kind of battling-"

"Ash would beg to differ," spat Brock.

Cynthia's eyes softened as she scanned the group. "That, he'd do," she replied. "But unfortunately, he's still a young, maturing Trainer, just like all of you. I know he's seen stuff no other Trainer has ever seen, and that you were all involved with his adventures in some way, but I'm afraid even he cannot face against something with this kind of magnitude." She looked up at the gargantuan airship. "Especially with his current condition."

"It doesn't matter!" shouted Serena, startling everyone. "Ash would never give up if everything was on the line! He wouldn't care if he was too weak to fight. He would fight nevertheless, despite the amount of power the enemy has! And he would fight till the very end, not resting at all until he wins and the villain gets his rightful punishment! He would want us to fight against whatever this new threat is and stop it!

"But most of all, he would want all of us to work _together_ in this endeavor! He would want us to set aside all of our differences and fight for a common goal without giving up! And this is because courage, friendship, and teamwork are values that he holds to his heart like a shield. It's what has always made him strong! It's what has always made him capable enough to brave against all obstacles in his path! If we hold those values to our hearts as well, then we can accomplish anything!"

She placed her hand over her chest, over the blue ribbon she received from Ash from what seemed to be a long time ago.

"I believe in those values as much as Ash does," she continued. "And I _know_ that alone makes me strong enough to battle against the enemy that is above us right now. So I will fight, and I won't stop until the end!"

"PIKA!" added Pikachu, his cheeks sparkling in agreement.

"So do I!" Max exclaimed, stepping forward with a clenched fist over his heart.

"Same here!" Brock cried, his hand also over his chest.

"Me too!" proclaimed Misty, putting on a similar pose.

One by one, the rest of the group stepped forward, their hands or fists over their chests. Cynthia and the others collectively stared at the Trainers in wonder. Then, they all looked at each other, all debating on what to do about this unanimous decision by the opposing party. After a couple of minutes, they looked back at the group of Trainers who pledged their allegiance to Ash's ideals without hesitation. Some looked reluctant, while others were impressed. Cynthia, on the other hand, looked as if she had been expecting such an outcome.

A smile from the former Sinnoh Champion was enough confirmation the group needed.

* * *

Nearby, Paul and Trip, who were trying to find their own way into the Prism Tower, were secretly eavesdropping on the conversation. Paul's stern eyes were narrowed...

* * *

Ash walked down the sidewalk, his auburn eyes completely focused on the gigantic airship suspended above the city as he approached the base of the Prism Tower. He narrowed his eyes angrily, and he could feel his stomach wound prickling slightly, as if responding to his inner rage.

"I've _seen_ that thing before, Leaf," he said.

There was no response. Ash twirled around, only to realize he was all alone in the central plaza. His eyes widened in surprise.

"_Leaf_?" he called. "LEAF?!"

But no one responded back, the only sounds in the air being the rotating of the airship's supporting fans, the drizzling, and the cold whisper of the wind. Ash blinked in shock, wondering why Leaf had suddenly disappeared like that. He could've sworn she was following right behind him...

"We mustn't waste anymore time, everyone!" a familiar voice commanded. "We must take the Syndicate down once and for all!"

Ash looked back at the Prism Tower, where he saw several familiar faces venturing into a sewer manhole.

"Solana?" asked Ash wondrously. "Jackie? Looker?"

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters**

Alastair, Orlando, Curtis, Charon, Brodie, and the Benefactor watched the large television screen, which was currently showing a live feed of security cameras recording the Prism Tower; each camera was represented by an individual live feed. The five were quick to spot the several groups of people entering or trying to enter the tower. Alastair's eyes narrowed menacingly at this newest development.

"Looks like people are already trying to resist," he remarked. "And Saturn has yet to finish his mission. This is not good. Not good at all."

"It's not just those people we have to be worried about," Curtis replied. "Our radar has detected two fighter jets flying towards our base. ETA is thirty minutes tops."

Alastair's lips pursed. "Damn."

Suddenly, Charon let out a sinister chuckle. "Eh, it matters not, Alastair, Curtis," the scientist replied. "We shall meet force with force."

"I agree with Charon wholeheartedly on this matter," the Benefactor said, attracting the attention of his lieutenants. "Now is the perfect opportunity to teach the rabble a _lesson_. A lesson on the major consequences of resisting against the likes of us." He coolly leaned back on his seat and linked his hands together, smirking triumphantly. "Greet this threat with the best we have to offer them. Orlando?"

"Yes, Benefactor sir?" asked Orlando, standing at attention.

"Dispatch the Syndicate Seven. Have them capture as much meddlers as they can."

"And what of the fighter jets once they arrive, sir?"

"Use _it_." The Benefactor tapped his armrest once. "And I don't want a single scrap of metal _left_, Orlando. Not a single scrap."

"YES, SIR!" Orlando bowed to his superior before leaving the room.

Once the teenage boy was gone, the Syndicate leader turned towards Alastair.

"Don't tell me you're now having doubts about the Syndicate's power, Alastair..."

"I would never think of such a thing, sir!" Alastair exclaimed, bowing before his superior.

"Then sit back and enjoy the show."

Blinking, Alastair turned back towards the screen, examining each and every individual live feed carefully. His eyes narrowed in concern at the groups of people who were trying to enter the Prism Tower, obviously to try and thwart their master scheme, one that they had been assembling for four whole years. He was confident in the Syndicate Seven handling the situation appropriately, but he knew that things could easily make a dark turn at any moment...

He spotted something peculiar on the live feed down at the far left. Examining the screen closely, he sneered maliciously upon identifying the person running up to the Prism Tower.

"Well, well, well," he said. "It's been a while..._brother_."

* * *

"Attention, Syndicate Seven!"

In their personal training room, J, Copper, Marks, Elena, Kelling, and Ferno all immediately stood at attention upon hearing the voice. Entering the room was Orlando, who was holding the Red Orb in one hand and a Poké Ball in the other. He bared his teeth in a sinister smile upon regarding his six comrades.

"The Benefactor has assigned us our latest mission," he said. "Failure is _not_ an option. Do I make myself clear?"

"YES, ORLANDO SIR!" the six Pokémon Poachers roared in unison.

"Then let's fight! Fight for the Syndicate!"

Orlando raised his hand in the air, the one holding the Red Orb. The crimson sphere glinted brightly from the light shining through the windows on the ceiling. Inside the ancient glass, there appeared to be a mystic energy surging across its spherical body, ready to emerge...

* * *

_"And the **seven mighty warriors** tore through the lands of Kalos, plundering all of the villages they came across, murdering innocents in cold blood, all in search of what they claimed was rightfully theirs. And after many days and many nights of searching and leaving a bloody trail behind them, they did succeed, but in the process, they dug eight graves."_

–Excerpt from ancient book found in the Tower of Mastery, author unknown

* * *

**Next time on "Judgment's Fall"**

**J:** Oh, how the mighty have fallen!

**Cynthia:** You will not succeed in your evil plans!

**Leaf:** So, uh...how's everyone's day been?

**Brock:** Wow, it's been what, seven years since I last saw you?

**Bonnie:** You're. Such. A. MEANIE!

**Dedenne:** DEDENNE!

**Diane:** It is so nice to be in the company of friends again! I'm so happy!

**Chapter 23: ****Championed Duel**

* * *

**A/N:** Probably not my best writing, because I guess this is what I get for coming back after a hiatus. My skills get a little rusty with the wait.

Anyway, I made a lot of changes to the second half of the chapter, all of which I decided to put in when I saw the events go in a different direction. So, if any of you still remember last chapter's preview, things are obviously a little different than what I teased to you months ago. Sorry about that, if you were expecting something else to happen. But don't worry; exciting things should start happening in the next chapter! :D

I'd like to thank the following for reviewing:

**-Gyga (guest reviewer):**

**1)** Teams Rocket and Flare are both AGAINST the Syndicate. They're the only two organizations the Syndicate tried to recruit that flat-out turned down the order. And naturally, with this organization's presence confirmed to them, they've begun making efforts to undermine the Syndicate's scheme.

**2)** Hmmmm... I like that. I'll see what I can do! ;)

**-thor94:** Well, you can't have everything, man. I'm not giving Ash that much power and abilities without there being a catch.

**-nico2883:** I don't understand what you're trying to say...

**-ChE clarinetist:**

**1)** Thanks. :) Hopefully I didn't keep you waiting too long with this update.

**2a)** Indeed, that was a big jump. And we'll be seeing more.

**2b)** Yes, that's true.

**2c)** Ha ha ha, NO. :)

**3)** They will at some point in the story. ;)

**4)** I guess that means I'm making Miette pretty accurate to her portrayal on the show. I'm glad for that! :D

**5)** Maybe so, maybe not...

**-Hero Time 18:** Uh...duh.

**-benfactorisash (guest reviewer):**

**1)** No, Ash will not get a new Pokémon.

**2)** Nice guess, but no, it's not him.

**-Emily (guest reviewer):** Indeed, and things won't stop there!

**-xxxSMDxxx:** Ash is 17 years old. ;)

**-Guest reviewer:** I haven't seen that anime, but I have heard of it multiple times. Yes, I am aware it's quite bloody.

**-Trublsmbob (guest reviewer):**

**1)** No, all of the plots are going to merge into one jumbled mess.

**2)** Thanks! :D

**3)** Sorta... :P

**-Anthrax99 (guest reviewer):** Thanks for your review! :D

**-yoshistar11:** Yes, Adam will return again.

Well, hope you enjoyed this new chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	25. Championed Duel

**A/N:** An early Merry Christmas to everyone! Welcome to a new chapter of "Judgment's Fall", where the true excitement begins! What action and excitement awaits for our heroes?!

ENJOY!

* * *

**The Prism Tower**

Saturn stared flatly at the fallen chassis of the Clembot, as it had called itself. Surrounding it were the unconscious forms of a Magnemite, a Magneton, and a Heliolisk. Just minutes earlier, Clembot greeted him and his comrades in the Lumiose Gym battlefield. Deducing them to be threats, the robot quickly sent the three Electric-type Pokémon to attack them, but the group made short work of them and then dispatched the robot once it attempted to activate its security protocol.

"Some inventor the Lumiose City Gym Leader is," the Team Galactic Commander remarked to himself. "Some inventor..."

"What was that, Saturn?" asked Jupiter, turning her head towards him.

"Oh, nothing. I was just talking to myself." Saturn turned his gaze away from Clembot's remains and looked at his inferiors, who were all working on trying to breach a door that was not opening for them. "So, how goes the work on that security door?"

"The security system's advanced, sir," replied a Team Aqua grunt. "But not advanced enough against our technology. We should be able to break through the system in another fifteen minutes."

"Excellent," replied Mars, who was staring at the door and smirking. "Soon, we will be able to access the Prism Tower's motherboard."

"And then, the power of Lumiose City will be _ours_," Jupiter added.

Saturn, on the other hand, remained silent, ambivalently observing the proceedings as he began calculating all of the statistical odds of the situation. He just couldn't help but wonder what the Syndicate was going to do once it accessed that kind of power. Knowing the ever-mysterious Benefactor, anything was possible...

His thoughts were interrupted by the beeping of the communication device wrapped around his wrist. The Commander pressed a button and allowed the small hologram of Alastair to appear on the device.

"Oh, Alastair sir," Saturn said. "What news do you bring?"

"Saturn, you have a number of people trying to enter the tower, Saturn," replied Alastair. "Mostly law enforcement and powerful figures from the Pokémon League. Champions, Elite Four members, Gym Leaders, the like. They're headed your way right now."

The blue-haired Commander raised an eyebrow. "Really, now?"

"Yes." Alastair's eye twinkled. "And I noticed that _t__hey_ are among them."

However, Saturn wasn't daunted. In fact, he actually appeared to be confused.

"I do not understand your implication, Alastair sir."

Alastair's smirk widened. "The Trainers that thwarted your previous attempt at a New World Order. _They're_ here."

Not only was Saturn's skin now pale, but so was Jupiter and Mars's.

"WHAT?!" all three Commanders cried at once.

"Oh, I believe you heard me perfectly, you three," replied Alastair, still smirking. "Do remember that you are all better equipped with responding to this kind of threat." He cracked his neck for a moment before continuing, "The Syndicate Seven is on their way to your position as we speak. Assist them in any way you can, and deal with this threat. Capture as much rebels as you can. Make sure those people know who they are dealing with. Is that understood?"

Regaining her senses, Mars grabbed Saturn's wrist, turned it towards her, and replied professionally at Alastair's hologram, "Yes, Alastair sir. We shall do our best for the Syndicate's sake."

Alastair nodded. "Good, Mars, very good. Do not disappoint the Benefactor."

* * *

**Chapter 23: ****Championed Duel**

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters  
In the skies of Lumiose City**

The Benefactor and Alastair closely watched the computer screens that were surveying the Prism Tower. On the main screen, a second transport jet was landing on the rooftop of the tower, and the Syndicate Seven was quickly running out of it, their Poké Balls ready. A satisfied grin curved the Benefactor's unseen facial features.

"It's finally happening," he said. "After four long years, it's finally happening."

"Indeed," replied Alastair. "Soon, the people of Lumiose City, along with this world, will realize the true power of this organization. Our hard work has bore fruit at long last. But, if I may..." The man turned towards his superior. "Why Lumiose City?"

"Pardon me, Alastair?"

"You were never clear to me on why we had to demonstrate our strength at Lumiose City when there were a multitude of other perfect locations. Saffron. Celadon. Goldenrod. Mauville. Castelia. Nimbasa. Yet you were so insistent on attacking Lumiose. Why here?"

The Benefactor's grin widened considerably, and he pointed to the main screen displaying the Prism Tower.

"My dear, dear Alastair," he said. "Do you know what that is?"

"The Prism Tower, sir," replied Alastair.

"No. It is an _illusion_."

"Illusion? Illusion of what, sir?"

"Freedom."

* * *

**In the skies of Kalos**

Stone and Barnes' jets emerged from another bank of thick storm-clouds. For the last several minutes, the two pilots were engaged in another conversation.

"For the last time, Barnes," said Stone, "that episode was not filler!"

"Stone," Barnes replied, "if nothing of importance to the overall story happens, then that episode's a filler! And nothing important happened in last week's episode!"

"But Frogadier evolved into Greninja! And it learned Water Shuriken! That's gotta be important, right?"

"But it was your standard evolution episode. Frogadier-"

"Greninja," interrupted Stone.

"Greninja, whatever. Just because it's now a Greninja doesn't mean it's grown for the better. In fact, its personality is still the same as always. Character development is always important, and it's especially needed in a drawn-out and cliched show that's been running for almost two decades. No personality change, no indication of maturation whatsoever, nothing important."

Stone sighed and shook his head. "Dude, they worked so hard to get Froakie to that stage of evolution. _That_ doesn't count as maturation to you?"

"But they didn't make it an urgent goal. They didn't say, 'Oh, you're a Froakie, so I gotta make sure you become a Greninja!' Nothing like that at all, Stone."

"It's a starter Pokémon! Evolving it to its final stage is a Trainer's primary goal!"

Barnes scoffed. "Really? Didn't see that in the guidebooks anywhere..."

"Man, you just don't get it, do you?"

"Excuse me?!"

_**"Control to Falcon One,"**_ another voice interjected on the communication radio. _**"Have you reached the destination yet?"**_

Shocked by the sudden interruption, Stone initially stumbled in responding, but was eventually able to say, "Not yet. We're a couple more miles out, sir."

_**"Okay. Report to us when you-"**_

Suddenly, a pink-and-purple blur flew past the two jets at lightning-fast speeds, a trail of blue aura being left in its wake. Stone and Barnes screamed in shock when their jets were thrown off-course by the powerful blast of air the passing blur. Seconds later, their jets stopped in midair, being suspended in the sky by an unseen force.

Then, this unknown force safely guided their jets in the opposite direction and did not stop until they were settled on the ground. Stone and Barnes remained in their seats, paralyzed in shock induced by the recent turn of events.

_**"Control to Falcon One!"**_ the same voice screamed from the radio. _**"What just happened?! Report! Falcon One, report!"**_

Stone pressed a button with his trembling hand. "This is Falcon One. We, uh...we're fine, but...we hit a problem..."

* * *

Back in the skies, upon sensing the safe condition of the jets and their pilots, the Mega-Evolved Mewtwo sighed in relief in her mind. She didn't want any innocent people involved in the situation she just sensed, for there was no doubt it was beyond their control.

The mysterious armored figure she battled in the now-faraway city was the first thing that came to her mind...

She narrowed her eyes as she quickened her pace and flew into another bank of storm-clouds.

* * *

**The Prism Tower  
Lumiose City**

Serena, Pikachu, and Cynthia quickly led Brock, Shauna, Misty, Max, Dawn, Iris, Cilan, Melody, Anabel, Flint, Jasmine, Norman, Volkner, Skyla, and Viola up a long and winding staircase. Minutes earlier, the group had split into smaller teams and assigned each specific tasks in order to cover more ground in the tower.

After a couple of minutes, the group reached another, much larger hallway and began sprinting down it.

"How longer till we get to the battlefield?" asked Misty.

"If my memory serves me well," Serena replied, "then there should be a couple more turns before we finally reach the doorway leading into the battlefield!"

"Well, we should keep up the pace," Cynthia said, her eyes narrowing. "Whatever these people have planned, it is undoubtedly going to be anything but good."

"Damn straight it is!" a voice shouted.

The group of eighteen stopped in their tracks and stared further down the hallway. Standing several yards away from them were...

"TEAM MAGMA?!" exclaimed Max in horror. "TEAM AQUA?!"

"TEAM GALACTIC?!" cried a shocked Brock and Dawn at once.

"TEAM PLASMA?!" Iris and Cilan shouted simultaneously.

"PIKA?!" Pikachu cried.

Relishing from the horrified expressions, Mars cackled malevolently and replied in a triumphant voice, "Surprised to see us back up and running again, children? I figured you'd be so. And now, you shall all see the new and improved Teams Galactic, Aqua, Magma, and Plasma in their full glory!" She pointed at the group. "And what better way to do so than in the miraculous form of _teamwork_?!"

At the cue, the various Pokémon that were out charged towards Serena's group, ready to attack. However, she and the others were ready.

"GO!" seventeen voices cried out in unison as Poké Balls flew into the air, unleashing the group's best Pokémon.

Serena and Braixen immediately engaged the Pokémon at the lead of the opposing group, which turned out to be Mars's Purugly. Alone and unsupervised, Pikachu relied on its own tactics to withstand against a Magnezone's incoming attacks. Cynthia and Garchomp battled against a Heracross; Shauna and Bulbasaur battled a Grovyle; Misty and Starmie battled an Onyx; Max and Norman used their Gallade and Slaking, respectively, to battle a Bisharp; Dawn and Piplup battled an Empoleon; Iris and Dragonite battled a Noivern; Cilan and Pansage battled a horde of Magnemite and Magneton; Melody and her Nidoqueen battled a Donphan; Anabel and Espeon battled an Umbreon and a Leafeon; Flint, Volkner, and Jasmine teamed up to battle against a pack of Houndoom with their Infernape, Raichu, and Steelix; Skyla and Viola allied with each other to use their Swanna and Vivillon, respectively, to battle a pair of Swellow; and Brock was...

"CROAGUNK!" the Pokémon Doctor yelled as he followed his Toxic Mouth Pokémon away from the battlefield. "Where are you going?! The fight's that way!"

"Looks like we lost Brock," deadpanned Misty as her Starmie easily defeated the Onyx.

"It doesn't matter!" Dawn cried as Piplup kept Empoleon at bay again with a Whirlpool attack. "It looks like we're getting the upper hand!"

"Yeah!" Max exclaimed. "This is WAY too easy!" He then turned back towards the Bisharp, pointed at it, and ordered, "Gallade, use Psycho Cut!"

"Use Mach Punch, Slaking!" added Norman.

Both Pokémon launched their respective attacks at the Bisharp, which failed to dodge them in time. The Sword Blade Pokémon was sent flying into the nearby wall by the combined force of the attacks, easily defeated.

"DAMN IT, BISHARP!" screamed the Bisharp's owner, a Team Plasma grunt. "DAMN IT ALL TO HELL!"

"YEAH!" roared both father and son triumphantly.

The grunt growled angrily and stepped closer towards Mars, who was taking charge of the Syndicate group.

"This is not good, Commander Mars!" he cried. "We're losing to those meddlers and fast!"

"Does it look like I don't _know_ that, idiot?!" snapped Mars. "PURUGLY, SHADOW BALL!"

Her Tiger Cat Pokémon quickly fired the attack.

"Counter with Flamethrower, Braixen!" commanded Serena.

Braixen unleashed a stream of fire, which intercepted the Shadow Ball and caused it to explode, filling the immediate vicinity with smoke. Mars growled in frustration, but this was reduced to coughing as soon as the smoke reached her lungs. Purugly held its ground, but looked around in all directions, unable to see Braixen's position.

"NOW USE SCRATCH!" Serena shouted over the blanket of smoke.

Braixen leaped through the smoke and slashed at Purugly. The Tiger Cat Pokémon cried out in pain before collapsing to the floor, depleted of all its energy.

"DAMN IT, PURUGLY!" Mars roared. "NO!"

"Commander Mars!" a Team Galactic grunt cried desperately. "We're losing Pokémon by the minute! What should we do now?!"

"We have to hold our ground, damn it! We cannot let these people past this point, unless you want the operation to be jeopardized!" The redheaded woman gave the grunt a frightening, venomous glare. "Do you _want_ that, soldier?!"

The grunt whimpered and replied meekly, "No, Commander Mars, not at all!"

"Good! Then we stand our ground and pray to Arceus that our assistance will arrive soon!"

"Consider your prayers answered, Commander Mars," a new voice said coolly.

Before anyone could say anything, a Hyper Beam flew over the group of Syndicate agents and struck the ground directly in front of Serena's group. This triggered a large explosion that sent the Trainers flying and tumbling violently across the floor. Once the smoke cleared, a vast majority of them were lying on the floor, suffering various cuts and bruises. The only Trainer-Pokémon pair who remained standing was none other than Cynthia and her Garchomp, though both were extremely battered by the violent surprise attack.

"Cynthia!" cried Dawn as she clutched her bruised shoulder.

"Piplup!" added Piplup.

However, Cynthia ignored the Pokémon Coordinator as she and Garchomp stared daggers at the new arrival. Mars and her group parted to make way for a woman with gray hair and blue eyes, who wore a purple trench-coat, a red long-sleeved shirt, red pants, and red gloves. Her left arm was completely robotic and outfitted with a device that almost resembled a cannon of sorts. Marching behind her was a Salamence. Dawn's eyes widened the moment she recognized the woman.

"Pokémon Hunter J!" she cried in complete shock.

"Wh-_Who_?" moaned Serena weakly as she and Braixen tried to stand up.

"She's a Pokémon Poacher Ash, Brock, and I had several run-ins with back at Sinnoh." The blue-haired girl's eyes narrowed menacingly. "She's bad news."

"Ah, far from it, little girl," J said in response, smirking. "Far from it..."

"Garchomp, use Dragon Rush!" commanded Cynthia.

The Mach Pokémon's head began to glow blue, followed by the rest of its body. However, before it could make the charge, it suddenly collapsed to its knees, being too disoriented by its wounds to carry out the attack. The blue aura dissipated from its head and body as quickly as it came. Cynthia's eyes widened.

"Garchomp!"

J chuckled jeeringly. "Oh, how the mighty have fallen!" She made a dismissive wave towards Garchomp. "Use Dragon Pulse, Salamence."

Salamence fired a turquoise sphere of energy, which hit Garchomp. The Mach Pokémon cried out in pain as it violently collided into the wall. Everyone watched as it then collapsed to the floor, unable to move.

"GARCHOMP!" Cynthia screamed, running up to Garchomp's side to tend it.

J cackled. "So much for the former Sinnoh Champion!" she exclaimed mockingly.

"You leave Cynthia alone!" Dawn shouted. "Piplup, Whirlpool!"

With all of the strength he could muster, Piplup stood up and fired the Water-type attack at Salamence. However, the Dragon Pokémon moved its head for an inch to avoid the attack. Then, it yawned in boredom as Piplup sweat-dropped, then gave a powerful flap of its wing. The sudden gust of wind hit Piplup and sent him backward, hitting the wall and collapsing with a cry of pain.

"PIPLUP!" cried Dawn loudly in concern.

"Piiiiippp..." moaned Piplup.

"Heh, foolish girl," J said, smirking.

"You leave her out of this, Pokémon Hunter!" snarled Cynthia. "You leave all of these children out of it!"

"And why should I? They were helping you in your attempt to undermine the Syndicate, but we know better."

"The...The _Syndicate_?..." asked Serena.

"Yes, girl," Mars replied triumphantly. "The Syndicate. The pinnacle of cooperation and teamwork between organizations dedicated to paving the way for a better future!"

"A better future?" Cynthia asked. "A better _future_? Is that what you think you're fighting for?!" Then, she scoffed. "It will be a better future only for you all. For the rest of the general public, it will be nothing more than their doom. Just an era of worldwide tyranny and oppression."

"Exactly!" Mars clapped her hands together in glee. "Tyranny and oppression are the solutions to this eternally, inherently flawed system! You all blind yourselves with these demoralizing concepts of personal freedom and liberty! You shun yourselves away from a horrible truth!"

"And that truth is?" Norman asked angrily.

"Freedom is a lie. In ancient times, civilizations have always looked to a strong leader to rule over them with an iron fist. A leader who can guide them in the toughest of days and the darkest of nights. But as time passed, pitiful excuses of a government like democracy and republics took this truth, buried it away, and painted it like it was something to be _despised_, to be _feared_ of! And yet, a supreme leader was all that was needed to keep the masses from falling into madness! Without a leader like that, people all around will bring this world closer to its doom with their selfish beliefs and uncultured methodologies, without any regard for their own well-being! Pure, all-out madness! Only tyranny and oppression can humble the rabble and restore true order to the world!"

"Yeah, you tell those meddlers, Commander!" a Team Galactic grunt shouted in agreement.

However, Cynthia was frowning at Mars. "Freedom, a lie?" she asked. "A supreme leader? True order to the world?" She then started laughing. "I've always thought you and other like-minded people craved power because it was just so appealing. But for you to excuse your actions with such an explanation?! HA! I can tell, now, that you are all merely delusional!"

"YOU **DARE**?!" roared Mars.

"Yeah, you tell 'em, Cynthia!" Dawn shouted.

"YEAH!" chorused the others in Serena's group.

However, while Mars was infuriated at this resistance, J remained calm and collected.

"Such foolhardy souls," the Pokémon Hunter remarked. She then glared at the grunts. "Take them."

The grunts all stepped forward, procuring handcuffs of an unknown design and technology. Cynthia's eyes narrowed at J and Mars.

"You will not succeed in your evil plans!" she cried.

J smirked and simply replied, "Watch us."

Meanwhile, Serena watched as her friends were all handcuffed by the grunts. However, the ghost of a smile appeared on her lips for a second.

_"Good!"_ she thought. _"Things are going according to plan. Hopefully the others have things handled on their end..."_

* * *

**Autumnal Avenue  
An hour later**

May looked over her shoulder to look at the distant Prism Tower, and she could make out the two futuristic transport jets circling the top of the man-made structure. She then looked back down at Bonnie, who was holding her hand and looking down at the ground, a forlorn expression on her face. Then, she looked at Clemont, who was staring vacantly ahead, no doubt thinking that he should've been at the tower, helping out in some way.

She couldn't blame him. She wanted to be there too. After all, her father and brother were there...

"May?"

The Top Coordinator looked down. "Yes, Bonnie?" she replied.

"Do you think the others will be okay?" asked Bonnie.

"Of course, Bonnie! They're strong people. They can handle themselves."

"Even against a thing like that?"

Bonnie looked back, and May didn't need to follow her gaze to figure out what she was looking at.

"Well," the Top Coordinator replied, "as long as they have Ash in mind, then they can do anything. Absolutely anything." She looked ahead of the sidewalk, smiling slightly. "After all, Ash did it, so there's no reason why they can't do it as well."

"I guess."

"Dedenne..." replied Dedenne from within Bonnie's satchel.

After the trio walked down a couple of blocks, they reached M Electronics. The crowd that had once been in front of the store had now dispersed, leaving the street empty. In fact, all of the streets May, Clemont, and Bonnie walked on were all empty; they assumed they were evacuated as soon as the airship made its appearance.

"Here we are," Clemont announced absentmindedly. "Hopefully Dad's here..." He approached the front door and tried to open it, only to find the door locked. "What in the world?..." He knocked on the door hard. "Dad? Hey, Dad, it's Clemont! Me and Bonnie wanna get in! Open up!"

However, there was no response, so he knocked again.

"Hello, Dad?" he called. "Are you in there?!"

"Maybe he's not home," replied Bonnie.

"But why wouldn't he be home? Where in the world does he need to be during this time?" The inventor tried to open the door again. "Aw, no. I don't even have a key..."

"HOORAY!" The seven-year-old started jumping up and down in excitement. "If Daddy's not home, then we can go back to Prism Tower and help out everyone! YAY!"

"DEDENNE!" Dedenne chirped in agreement.

"No, Bonnie!" cried Clemont, holding out his hands. "You are NOT going back there!"

"Why not, Clemont?!" Bonnie exclaimed.

"Because you're too young, and it could be very dangerous! I don't want you to be hurt out there!"

"I know it's very dangerous, Clemont!"

"Then why do you still want to help when you know what could possibly happen to you?!"

"Because Ash wouldn't be afraid to go into dangerous stuff like this!"

Clemont sighed heavily. "Bonnie, it's _Ash_ we're talking about-"

"But if Ash can do it, then why can't I?!" interrupted Bonnie. "Hm? He's young too, but he gets to do really cool stuff! So why can't I, Clemont?! Why can't I?!" Tears started to form at the corners of her eyes. "Tell me, Clemont! Why can't I?!"

"DEDENNE!" squeaked an agitated Dedenne. The Antenna Pokémon scurried out from Bonnie's satchel and relocated itself to the top of her head; now, it was staring at the inventor with a defiant expression. "DEDE-DEDENNE!"

Clemont stared back at his sister, unable to believe what was happening.

_"She really wants to help, huh?..."_ he thought.

Then, to his dismay, Bonnie turned her head towards May, having apparently realized Clemont wasn't going to answer her question, and asked, "May, if I were gonna go help out everyone like I wanted to, what would _you_ say? Would you let me help everyone else?"

Clemont looked at May, trying to signal her with his facial expressions to be strict on Bonnie. However, she was looking down at his sister and not at him directly, so she couldn't see his signals in her peripheral vision. He could only hope that May was just as concerned for Bonnie as he was, and how aware she was of Bonnie's age...

"Bonnie," May replied, "I'm sorry, but your brother's right."

_"Thank Arceus!"_ Clemont exclaimed in the confines of his mind.

"But May!" cried Bonnie. "I REALLY wanna help!"

"DEDENNE!"

"I know you do, Bonnie," said May, "but you're still a young kid, with a bright future ahead of you. Who knows what's happening to Serena and the others right now?"

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters  
In the skies of Lumiose City**

Serena cried out as she was violently tossed to the solid floor of marble, her hat falling off in the process. She tried to get up, but remembered that she was handcuffed and her arms were restrained to the back. She could only move her head to watch as the rest of her friends and other members of her group were tossed to the floor as well. At her left were Shauna, Misty, Max, Cilan, Anabel, Volkner, and Skyla. At her right were Cynthia, Dawn, Iris, Melody, Flint, Jasmine, Norman, and Viola. Minutes earlier, the Syndicate grunts had taken their Pikachu, Braixen, and their other Pokémon, along with their remaining Poké Balls into another elevator, leaving them utterly defenseless.

The Performer heard J approaching her from behind. Seconds later, something nudged her foot.

"Up on your knees, all of you!" the Pokémon Poacher barked.

"And if we don't?" Volkner replied defiantly.

Serena heard Salamence growling menacingly. She sighed angrily and, with much difficulty, got up on her knees. The others followed suit, and in her peripheral vision, Serena could see Max crying, no doubt over his separation from Gallade; he had been the most vocal when the grunts took away their Pokémon.

"Max," Serena whispered. "Pssst! Max!"

"S-Ser-Serena?..." whimpered Max.

"It's going to be okay-"

"No, it's not," a voice interrupted suddenly.

For the first time, Serena realized the grunts had taken her and the others into a large office. At the other end of the room sat a polished wooden desk. Standing against three of the office walls were gigantic bookcases, filled to the brim with books of complicated titles (some of them even written in foreign languages). Looking up, Serena was surprised to see, stretched across the ceiling, a vast painting of a Penrose triangle, which made the girl's eyes ache as she took in all of its details.

Looking back at the desk, the honey-haired Performer watched as the leather chair swiveled around, revealing a man sitting on it. This man had unkempt black hair, and he was wearing thin-framed rectangular glasses and a black lab-coat. Serena couldn't help but feel like this man resembled someone she knew...

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls," the man greeted, smiling warmly. "Welcome to the humble domain of the Syndicate!"

"More like your fortress of death!" Flint spat. A second later, he cried out in pain, having been hit in the back by a club carried by a Team Magma grunt.

"Flint!" Jasmine cried in concern.

"Now, now, now, there is no need for violence!" the black-haired man exclaimed. He looked at the Team Magma grunt who struck Flint. "Come on, let's treat our guests with some hospitality!"

"Y-Y-Yes, sir," stuttered the grunt humbly.

"Yes. Yes, in fact, unchain these people, right now!"

J blinked in surprise, as did everyone else in the room. "But-But sir-" J began.

"That is an _order_, Pokémon Hunter J," interrupted the man.

"Yes, sir..."

J and the other grunts in the room promptly unlocked the handcuffs restraining the arms of Serena and the others. As soon as Max's arms were released, he made a mad dash towards the black-haired man.

"MAX, NO!" Serena, Cynthia, Misty, and Norman cried out at once.

"WHERE'D YOU TAKE MY GALLADE AND MY POKE BALLS, YOU MONSTER?!" roared Max with all of his might. He raised his arms to try and hit him, but then, as he was inches away from the man, he stopped abruptly. Everyone realized that the Trainer was paralyzed in the air by a blue aura that outlined his entire body.

The man smiled and looked towards the shadowy corner. "Thank you, Orlando," he said.

A teenage boy stepped out of the shadows, a Kirlia trotting beside him. He had dark-brown hair and was wearing a black suit with a red undershirt and a black-and-red-striped tie. He was also wearing a metal mask that obscured his entire face.

"You're welcome, sir," the boy named Orlando replied, using a voice that was rendered slightly robotic by his mask. He gestured to Kirlia, and the Emotion Pokémon moved Max back to his group before releasing its Psychic hold on him.

"Alright. Now, where was I?" The man snapped his fingers. "Oh yes, that's right!" He bowed politely towards Serena and the others. "Greetings to all of you. My name is Alastair. I represent the Benefactor."

"The..._Benefactor_?" Viola asked.

"Yes, my dear Viola," Alastair replied. "The Benefactor is the leader of the Syndicate, and its founder."

"And the person behind this monstrosity," Iris spat.

"Monstrosity? HA! Now why would you think this whole thing is a monstrosity, my dear? We haven't exactly done anything wrong."

"Your membership is comprised of members of four criminal organizations who broke out of prison," Cynthia replied. "In essence, you are harboring fugitives."

"Along with the members of some 296 other so-called criminal organizations."

Everyone's eyes widened, except for Cynthia's. "WHAT?!" they all chorused.

"Yes, my dear guests, you heard correctly. The Syndicate is, in essence, an organization consisting of organizations. Teams Aqua, Magma, Galactic, and Plasma are just the starting point. It is an alliance, a conglomerate." His grin widened as he stretched out his arms, as if basking in the glory of Arceus. "The pinnacle of teamwork and cooperation between organizations dedicated to paving the way for a better future."

"So we've heard," Cynthia snarled. "And I assume your vision of a better future involves subjugating the general population and ushering in an era of tyranny?"

"Yes, of course. But I'm not gonna go into specifics; I believe Mars already covered that for you."

"Why'd you bring us here?" asked Serena angrily.

"Why, to see if any of you are willing enough to join our cause, of course!"

"_Join_ you?" everyone else repeated.

"Why the hell would we wanna join you?!" Volkner snarled.

"Because the Syndicate is close to achieving its goal of world conquest," replied Alastair. "Resistance is futile at this point. Your governments made sure of that."

"What do you mean our governments made sure of that?" asked Skyla. "They would never stand for you and your cause!"

"Ah, but that doesn't mean they will save their own sorry ass-" He cleared his throat. "Excuse me, I mean, _butts_, pardon my French."

"What're you talking about?!" Viola shouted.

Alastair's grin widened. "Oh, you'll find out soon. In the meantime, I would like to ask if there is anyone who would like to join the Syndicate? Now, joining our ranks is voluntary, but do note that if you refuse, you will be thrown into our special little prison with the others."

"Others?" Cilan asked.

"Yes, we have some people there that I'm sure will keep any defiant ones company." Suddenly, a beeping noise filled the room, and Alastair whipped out a cellphone from his pocket. "Excuse me, I must take this."

As Alastair answered his phone, Serena secretly turned to the others.

"There are more organizations than just those four that we encountered?" she asked.

"Apparently so," Misty replied. "But I never imagined there'd be around 300 of them in the world." Her ocean-blue eyes then widened. "Wait... Could Team Rocket have joined the Syndicate as well, then?"

Serena scoffed. "Team Rocket? If so, then there might be an upside to this after all-"

"No, not _them_! There's more of Team Rocket than just Jessie, James, and Meowth!"

The Performer's eyes widened. "Really? I never knew." She pursed her lips. "And...are they _worse_ than Jessie, James, and Meowth?"

"Sometimes I get confused on how those three became members of _that_ organization."

* * *

Elsewhere in the headquarters, three certain janitors sneezed simultaneously as they scrubbed one of the many hallways with all of the strength they could muster.

* * *

Alastair promptly hung up from his call and faced the captives. Serena was horrified to see the triumphant grin on his face.

"Very admirable, you guys, very admirable," he said. "But don't think you've underestimated the Syndicate! We're prepared for any countermeasures against us."

"What're you talking about, Alastair?" asked Cynthia aggressively.

"I'll admit, it was a pretty good strategy. Pretty good strategy indeed. Splitting yourselves up into smaller groups to cover more ground. Your group breaches the tower first and engages the Syndicate's responding forces head-on while the other groups enter the tower using other means. _Very_ clever."

Serena's eyes widened in terror. "No..." she moaned. "_No_..."

"Oh, yes. As we speak, more Syndicate troops are bringing in another group from the south entrance of the tower, while another one of your groups is being engaged at the Gym battlefield. As for the other three groups, well..."

He pressed a button on his cellphone, which displayed a hologram of multiple computer screens. Serena and the others were shocked to realize it was security footage, recording the movements of all of their friends and acquaintances, every last one of them.

"We have eyes on them as well," continued Alastair. "We'll get to them in no time." He deactivated the hologram and stuffed the cellphone back into his pocket. "The real question is if there will be some..._casualties_. After all, I do have some guys who are quite the trigger-happy fellows."

"YOU WOULDN'T!" roared Serena.

"Oh, I wouldn't. But I wouldn't say the same for the trigger-happy guys I mentioned. However, I am willing to issue a stand-down order to those particular fellows if any of you are happy enough to join our ranks." He scanned the group, the lenses of his rectangular glasses glinting. "So, who would like to join us?"

No one responded; instead, they all gave Alastair the most bitter and hateful glares. Before he could respond, however, the doors burst open, and a new group of Syndicate grunts entered the room, carrying with them more hostages. These grunts were led by a bald, stout man wearing a blue-and-white-striped kimono, followed closely by a Medicham.

Serena closed her eyes in horror as she identified the new hostages: Diantha, Tierno, Zoey, Macy, Angie, Ritchie, Harrison, Tyson, Nando, Lt. Surge, Erika, Whitney, Roxanne, Candice, Cheren, and Grant.

"Well," Ritchie said sarcastically upon spotting Serena and her group, "this is quite the welcoming wagon..."

"Ah, so _these_ are the new guests!" Alastair chuckled and turned towards Serena's group. "Well, if any of you do not wish to join, then I'll just ask these people. Hopefully they have more sense and less narcissism than you guys."

"Wait a minute," Roxanne said, confused. "_Join_?"

"Yes, Roxanne. Join _us_. The Syndicate, the pinnacle of teamwork and cooperation between organizations dedicated to paving the way for a better future."

"Like hell we will!" Lt. Surge snapped savagely. "Now you let us go and bring us to our Pokémon this INSTANT!"

Everyone from his group, along with Serena's group, yelled out in agreement.

Alastair sighed at the resistance and shook his head. "So, so, so _cliched_! Let us go, let us go! You won't win, you will lose! Your efforts will be in vain! Good trumps evil! Sparkly rainbows and Butterfree! And so on and so forth, ad infinitum." He scanned both groups, then shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, if all of you do not wish to join us and have a fair share of undeniable, unimaginable power, then I guess I will have no choice but to throw you all behind bars. I'll let you all know that you missed out on your chance to experience the magnificence and glory of being feared and revered across the world!" He gestured to his inferior grunts. "Take them away."

Serena bowed her head in anguish as she felt a grunt force her to her feet and guide her out of the office. This plan wasn't going well so far. She could only pray to Arceus that the four groups who weren't captured were holding out on their own. She also hoped that their Pokémon were safe...

* * *

"PIKA-**CHUUUUUUUU**!"

Pikachu tried using Thunderbolt to break itself out of its cage, but it failed to do anything. Outside, two Team Galactic grunts snickered jeeringly.

"Look at that stupid Pikachu!" one exclaimed. "Trying to use an Electric-type attack against a plastic cage! How amusing is _that_?!"

"Yeah, it's very cute," the other replied mockingly. She approached the cage and poked its plastic surface, causing Pikachu to growl angrily. "Ooh, is the wittle Pikachu maddy-waddy? Is he gonna use his wittle Thunderbolt to break the wittle cage?"

Inside their other attack-proof cages, the other captive Pokémon roared and snarled at the grunt, outraged that she was bullying their friend. Some tried to attack their own cages, but found that measures were taken to prevent their escapes as well. The first Team Galactic grunt started laughing at the resistance.

"Stupid, foolish Pokémon!" he cried. "Accept the truth for what it is! The Syndicate has won, and you are all its prisoners!"

"I wouldn't think so..." a new voice suddenly said in a chipper tone.

"Wha- OOF!"

The male grunt fell to the floor, unconscious. The female grunt twirled around and saw a girl standing at the doorway of the room they were in. She had brown hair and blue eyes, and was wearing a sleeveless light-blue tank-top, a red skirt, light-blue socks that were sagging, white running shoes with a single red stripe each, a yellow shoulder bag, and a white hat with the top half of a Poké Ball symbol. Standing beside her was a Venusaur, who was retracting its vines.

"Who the hell are you?!" the grunt shouted.

"Nobody in particular," replied the girl. "Venusaur, use Vine Whip again!"

Venusaur roared and sent out its vines again. They struck the woman with full force and sent her crashing into a wall, knocking the wind out of her and rending her unconscious. The girl stood over the forms of both grunts, checking to see if they were out for the count. Upon verifying it, she approached Pikachu's cage and smiled widely at him.

"Hey, Pikachu!" she greeted. "My name's Leaf. I'm a good friend of Ash's. Will you trust me to get you out of this?"

Pikachu blinked as he examined the Trainer. She seemed to be truthful in her claims...

However, before he could make a further evaluation of Leaf, Pikachu noticed movement behind her.

"Pika!" he cried out in warning.

Leaf twirled around and saw six Team Magma grunts entering the room, a pack of Houndoom leading them. She sweat-dropped at their presence.

"So," she said, "uh..." Then, she gave them a giddy smile, resembling a little girl who was being offered candy. "How's everyone's day been?"

* * *

**The sewers of Lumiose City**

Ash squinted his eyes, focusing his auburn pupils on the bright orb of light in the distance. He knew that it was a Bronzor belonging to one of Looker's allies, ordered to illuminate a way through the dark tunnels of Lumiose City's sewer system. For several minutes, the raven-haired Trainer had been following them, making sure he kept a distance so he wouldn't be noticed. His Frogadier was out, just in case they were attacked.

He could hear the group talking about breaching the Prism Tower from underneath, so he deduced that they were going to break into the basement from the sewers.

But the question was...exactly where in the sewers? He felt like they should've reached the bottom of the tower by now...

Suddenly, Ash felt a stabbing sensation in his back... He couldn't move; his vision was blurring... He could see Frogadier twirling around, only to be ambushed by a blur of blue and purple... He was falling to the ground, unable to do anything to shield his face from the rough, uneven surface... The entire left side of his face was prickling due to the ground's jagged edge stabbing at his skin... It felt like half of his face was on fire...

Just like when Adam had his Delphox burn his stomach...

Ash managed to inch his head up, using his last ounce of strength.

Towering over him was a tall, extremely thin man with gangling arms and rather long stringy green hair that was covering his left eye completely while casting his right eye in shadow. Hovering beside this man was a Beedrill, which had its left stinger broken.

"Thought you'd be a sneaky one, eh?..." the man asked. He then knelt down towards Ash and snapped his fingers twice in front of the Trainer's face to get his attention. "Hey, hey! I'm talking to you, kid! Now, now, don't worry, it's just a little Poison Jab, nothing that can be considered permanent damage."

At the corner of Ash's eye, he could see the man's Beedrill hovering towards him, its red eyes glinting bitterly, almost hatefully. There was something about the Beedrill's demeanor that told Ash the Poison Bee Pokémon wasn't too fond of him. The green-haired man noticed this too and glared at Beedrill.

"Beedrill," he said sternly, "stand down. Stand _down_."

The Poison Bee Pokémon buzzed menacingly in response, but kept its distance. This allowed the man to look back at Ash.

"Sorry about that, kid," he continued. "For some reason, my Beedrill isn't too fond of black-haired guys who wear caps." He then spotted Ash's cap, removed it, and examined it thoroughly. "Nice cap, kid. Very nice. Looks quite flashy on you." He then put it on and straightened it out. "So, what do ya think, kid?"

In his mind, Ash was wishing that this man would be hit by a Fire-type attack. However, the effects of the Poison Jab rendered him completely immobile. He couldn't do or say anything in protest. He could only watch as this man relished in wearing his cap.

"Yeah, I think I look dashing in this myself!" The man made a heroic pose. "Heck yeah!" He then removed the cap and examined it again. "Yes, this'll do well as a trophy. A good trophy, indeed." He looked down at Ash, his eyes, almost resembling a Seviper's, glinting mockingly. "Alright, I'd love to continue chatting, but I've got some work to do, namely transporting your butt to headquarters and throwing it into prison. Sweet dreams, little prince!"

With that, the man kicked Ash in the face with a grunt, and the raven-haired boy's world turned black in an instant.

* * *

**Somewhere in the Kanto region**

A flock of Butterfree flew across the skies gracefully, all headed towards one unknown destination. A large majority of them looked the same, but only two can be easily distinguished from the others by certain people, even if they were at a distance. One was a Butterfree that was colored in a dazzling pink and not the usual purple; and the other, while having the normal color scheme of other Butterfree, had a small ribbon tied around its neck, colored in a faded shade of yellow.

The Butterfree wearing the faded-yellow ribbon suddenly stopped flying and turned around to stare at the direction from which it came.

Something was wrong...

* * *

**The Prism Tower  
Lumiose City, Kalos**

"CROAGUNK!" called Brock as he followed his Toxic Mouth Pokémon. "Croagunk, where are you going?! Get back here!"

However, Croagunk ignored his Trainer and continued running down the hallway, croaking aggressively. Brock wanted to stop and catch his breath for a moment, but he feared if he did just that, he would lose sight of Croagunk, so the aspiring Doctor just kept running as fast as his legs could carry him.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Croagunk stopped. When Brock stopped just a yard away from his Pokémon, he realized he was in...

"A battlefield?" he asked, scanning his surroundings. "The Lumiose Gym battlefield, perhaps? ...It's gotta be-"

"Who goes there?" a familiar voice asked.

Brock looked at the side of the battlefield and saw a group of grunts prying open what appeared to be a steel-enforced door. Staring back at him was...

"YOU!" Brock shouted. "You're one of the Team Galactic Commanders! Saturn, right?!"

Saturn smirked. "Well, I thought Mars and her group handled all of you children," he replied. "But I guess you managed to slip by under her nose. Heh. No matter." He procured a Poké Ball from his pocket and expanded it to its full size. "There's just one of you, and it's a fair enough fight for me. Go!"

The blue-haired Commander threw the Poké Ball, which unleashed a Toxicroak. The moment it locked its eyes with Croagunk's, the two stared at each other with vengeful expressions. Two elongated, bitter croaks filled the air, uniting as one melody that would chill anyone to the bone.

"Toxicroak?" asked Brock, surveying the evolved Toxic Mouth Pokémon. Then, he looked at Croagunk. "Of course, that's why Croagunk ran off! It sensed Toxicroak!"

Without the need for commands, both Croagunk and Toxicroak charged forward, their fists glowing.

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters  
In the skies of Lumiose City**

Serena yelled out in pain as she was tossed to the hard floor yet again. She then looked up hatefully at the masked teenage boy named Orlando, who was the one who tossed her in the steel cage.

"YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS!" she shouted.

"Talk all ya want, cutie pie," replied Orlando, "but guess where the Syndicate is standing? At the top of the world!" He then smirked as he scanned her body from head to toe, causing her to shudder in disgust. "You really missed out, you know. You could've had it all. But I guess you'll be nothing more than another cute but clueless gal. Truly a shame. You remind me of someone I'd rather not remember."

"Hey, Orlando!" called a Team Magma grunt as he and two grunts from Teams Galactic and Plasma tried shoving Max into his own cell. "Quit ogling that girl and get over here! We've got a persistent one!"

"Coming, coming!"

Orlando closed the door on Serena and approached Max, who was struggling violently against his captors.

"YOU LET GO OF ME RIGHT NOW!" roared Max. "RIGHT **NOW**!"

"Aw, shut up," Orlando said nonchalantly as he procured a baton and clubbed Max in the head with it, knocking him out.

"MAX!" Norman, Misty, Anabel, and Roxanne cried out.

"Thanks, man," replied the Team Magma grunt, looking at Orlando. "I didn't think of that." He and the other two grunts then tossed the unconscious Max into the cell. "That was easy!"

Growling, Norman glared at Orlando and roared, "YOU MONSTROUS **BASTARD**! YOU WILL **PAY** FOR HITTING MY SON LIKE THAT! YOU WILL PAY, YOU HEAR ME?! **_PAY_!**"

"Yeah, and a Psyduck created the Universe," the masked boy replied mockingly. One could tell he was rolling his eyes. "I'd like to see you try."

Norman growled angrily and then began slamming his fists onto the steel bars, as if hoping he would break them in a few hits. However, his efforts failed to bear any fruit, and the Petalburg City Gym Leader collapsed to the floor, his knuckles severely bruised and most likely broken. Orlando scoffed before scanning all of the captives.

"Welcome, everyone, to the Syndicate's prison!" he announced. "Reserved specially for people who dare to resist against our might! You should've savored your last moment of daylight, because all you'll ever see from now on is darkness. I can only hope you make a nice home out of your lovely little cells."

"You won't get away with this!" shouted Tyson.

"Seriously?" Orlando shook his head. "Do you people _ever_ tire of saying that? It's so cliched! Of COURSE we've gotten away with it! We pooled all the resources of hundreds of organizations, we have all of this technology, and most of all, we have all the Legendary Pokémon!"

Everyone's eyes widened as they chorused, "YOU HAVE ALL THE LEGENDARY POKEMON?!"

"Only some," a new voice said glumly. Everyone's heads turned towards some nearby cells, where several more people were being held, some of them familiar faces.

"Luka?" asked Misty.

"Brandon?!" Anabel cried.

"Maria?" Dawn asked in shock.

"N?!" shouted Iris. "Anthea? Ridley?"

"And Damon, Juanita, Carlita, Mannes, and the People of the Vale tribes too!" Cilan cried. "They're all here!"

N smiled and continued, "It's a pleasure to see you again, Iris, Cilan." He closed his eyes solemnly. "I only wish it were under better circumstances..."

"You're all prisoners of the Syndicate?" asked Serena.

"Yes," Orlando replied, speaking for N. "They all resisted the Syndicate's grand scheme, in spite of the fact that we were obviously going to win, and now, they are paying the consequences for it. Some of these people have been our prisoners for a while now."

"I can't believe this..." moaned Angie.

In the meantime, Diantha glared at Orlando and his grunts, and snarled, "You're monsters, all of you! And you're telling me you have Legendary Pokémon in your possession?!"

"Along with several Pokémon that can Mega Evolve," Orlando replied calmly. "Including yours, Kalos Champion Diantha. And for that, we thank you for this contribution to our success!" He bowed to the Kalos Champion with a gentlemanly air. "We really do."

"You do not understand what you are doing!" shouted Cynthia. "You think _we_ are the ones paying the consequences to our actions?! Well, once you wield the powers of whatever Legendary Pokémon you have, you will suffer the consequences of it! But not if you abandon your current goals and do the right thing, right now!"

"Oh, believe me, _former_ Sinnoh Champion Cynthia-"

"Don't you dare address her with that tone!" Flint roared, but Orlando ignored him.

"-I am well aware of the consequences of using the powers of a Legendary." He reached into his pocket with a satisfied grin. "But my father once told me this." He pulled out a glowing crimson sphere from his pocket. "As long as you focus your mind to what's important to you, then _anything_ is possible." He scoffed nastily and spat at the ground. "Can't believe I used _that_ quote, but it's very appropriate."

Cynthia's eyes widened in horror as she stared upon the sphere. "No way..." she whispered. "Is...Is _that_-?"

"Yes. It's the legendary Red Orb, the artifact that can summon the Continent Pokémon, the Lord of the Land." He raised the Red Orb high in the air. "GROUDON!"

"NO!" the prisoners all cried.

"Oh yes, I'm afraid it's true." Orlando stared at the Red Orb intensely. "You see, Groudon's been my partner for some time, and so far, he seems pretty content with our partnership. It was nothing that was against his will." He looked at the prisoners with a youthful smile of triumph. "If that doesn't indicate the chances of the Syndicate experiencing glorious victory, then what does?"

"You..." moaned Serena in disbelief. "_You_..."

However, Orlando silenced her with a dissatisfied grin. "What? Still got something to say? I'd save my breath if I were you. You've got a reunion to attend to, since it's apparent some of you know the prisoners we already have." He raised his chin for an inch. "Makes me think about the words of G.H. Palmer. Tell me, which one of you will be the one to raise their chin and begin making the amends? Hm? You think about that for a moment."

He turned around and began walking away with all but five of the grunts, all the while cackling loudly.

* * *

As Orlando stepped out of the holding rooms, he pressed a button on the side of his mask, causing it to retract away from his face and reveal his gray eyes. Seconds later, he heard a voice call out to him, and as he did, he couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"Orlando! Hey, Orlando!"

The boy turned around and saw Curtis running up to him. "Yes, Curtis?" he asked.

"We've got two situations right now," replied Curtis, the tone of his voice urgent.

"Really? What could be worse than wasting our time on a ragtag resistance group that is easily being overpowered by our forces?"

Curtis blinked, then said, "Well, first of all, our radar has detected MTY."

Orlando's eyes widened. "MTY, you say?"

"Yes. She's on her way here. ETA, another fifteen minutes."

"Well then, Curtis, you know what to do. Send MTX out. He's the only one who can handle MTY in a battle."

"Of course."

Orlando arched an eyebrow. "And the second situation is?..."

"Well, uh, we...we lost sight of Rosa. She didn't make it to her transport jet at the extraction time."

"She probably got caught up in that mass evacuation. You saw how everyone around the Prism Tower just hightailed it." He turned around and began walking away. "I wouldn't worry about it, Curtis. Once we fully subjugate Lumiose City, we'll search through the streets and get her back."

However, Curtis was shocked by the response. "You're...You're not _concerned_ about Rosa's well-being?!"

"She's a tough girl. If she could survive a childhood of abuse and wandering miles into a forest, then I'm pretty sure a stampede isn't enough to bring her down for good." He stopped and looked back at the green-haired boy. "And _you're_ concerned about Rosa's well-being?"

"I'm just...worried for her. ...That's all."

Orlando frowned angrily and marched towards Curtis, one of his eyelids twitching menacingly. Before the green-haired Syndicate lieutenant could react, his colleague grabbed him by the collar and slammed him violently onto the nearby wall.

"You're just worried for her, huh?" repeated Orlando furiously. "You're just _worried_ for her?! I call bullshit on that!" His lips curved into a nasty grin, and his gray eyes glinted in realization. "You have a _thing_ for Rosa, don't you?"

"Wh-What?! Orlando, calm down-"

Orlando jabbed his index finger into Curtis's chest. "Not until you let go of your silly little crush, or your fetish for girls with twin-tails, or whatever. Rosa's a _colleague_, not your crush, and certainly not your friend! The Syndicate has no time for petty little friendships or romance, you got that?!"

Realizing that he had somehow drawn Orlando's wrath, Curtis had no choice but to nod in agreement. In response, the boy released him. However, Orlando didn't leave, and took the moment to give Curtis a scathing look, one that he had never seen him use before.

"Your thing for Rosa disgusts me," Orlando spat. "It's a good thing I abandoned _mine_ when I decided to grow up!"

* * *

In the Benefactor's throne room, he and Alastair continued to survey the surveillance footage of every corner of the Prism Tower. In every screen, teams of Syndicate grunts, each led by a member of the Syndicate Seven, were overpowering the groups of PWT participants in battle.

"This is going well," the Benefactor said, a smile appearing on his shadowed face. "_Very_ well indeed."

"No doubt..." replied Alastair absentmindedly. He was still entirely focused on one particular computer screen, something the Benefactor was quick to notice.

"Do you wish to engage him?"

Alastair pursed his lips. "No. I...I do not want him to see me yet."

"What is this? Are you feeling uneasy at this impending family reunion? Perhaps..._frightened_?..."

The Syndicate lieutenant twirled around to look up at his leader. "Like hell I am frightened by my own brother!"

"Then why the hesitation? It has been so long since you've seen him." The Benefactor looked at the screens. "The Syndicate is in possession of a number of powerful Legendary Pokémon. We have revealed ourselves to the world while at our prime. Lumiose City is under siege. We are one step closer to achieving our goal of world conquest. This is the _perfect_ opportunity to show your brother that you are truly the more powerful and cunning of the two of you."

"I know..." Alastair glared at the screens as well. "But...this is not merely enough."

"Then tell me, what exactly will satiate your lust for revenge?"

Alastair narrowed his eyes darkly. "I...I want to destroy everything he has... Everything he has built up for himself, every single accomplishment he's ever made... Make sure that every bead of sweat he shed was all for nothing! I want to reduce him to his sorriest state...and that will be when I reveal myself to him..."

The Benefactor arched an eyebrow. "That's very sadistic. ...I like it."

"Thank you, sir."

"You're welcome. ...But do you know how you plan on doing that?"

Alastair focused on the footage of his brother as he entered the Prism Tower via hole created by one of the resistance groups. Alone.

..._Alone_...

The lieutenant grinned. "Benefactor sir, permission to leave headquarters and go down to the city?"

"And may I ask why, Alastair?" the Benefactor asked in response.

"I found the answer to your question."

The Benefactor grinned as well. "Very well. Do what you must. But you must not stray from your goal, and refrain yourself from causing any unnecessary casualties."

Alastair bowed. "It shall be done, sir. Good luck to us both."

* * *

**Sycamore Laboratories  
Southern Lumiose City**

"Well, here we are," announced Clemont. "Professor Sycamore's lab."

May looked up at the building complex in awe, taking in all of its features.

"Wow..." she said. "So, this Professor Sycamore is the Kalos region's Pokémon Professor?"

"Yeah," Bonnie replied, still clutching May's hand. "He's pretty cool, actually!"

"Dedenne!" chirped Dedenne excitedly.

"Really, huh? Just like Professor Birch." Then, another question popped into May's mind. "So, guys...what field exactly does this Professor Sycamore study in?"

Clemont chuckled as he began walking towards the lab's front door, followed by the two girls.

"Oh, believe me, you wouldn't believe it if we told you, May..."

* * *

Little did Clemont, Bonnie, Dedenne, or May notice that someone had been watching them after randomly stumbling upon their position.

"It is Bonnie and Clemont!" cried Princess Diane as she observed the trio from a distance. "Oh, it is so nice to be in the company of friends again!" She began prancing towards Sycamore Laboratories jollily. "I'm so happy! So happy, so happy, so _happy_!"

However, she didn't notice the watching eyes of a Klinklang and a Mega Evolved Blaziken in the distance...

* * *

**The Prism Tower**

Brock watched in shock as Croagunk fell to the ground, having been felled by Toxicroak's Poison Jab in an instant. The Toxic Mouth Pokémon snorted and stood over the unconscious body of its lower evolution form, smirking proudly, its sac bloated immensely.

"Cr-_Croagunk_..." he moaned.

As for Saturn, he was chuckling in surprise and pleasure. "Well, that was surprisingly easy," the blue-haired man said as he crossed his arms. "I can tell Toxicroak spent the last two years preparing for this moment. It looks like your Croagunk couldn't stand a chance this time, kid. Not even a modicum of it." He then suddenly pursed his lips in dissatisfaction. "I guess that's one positive way to look at the Syndicate..."

"Croagunk!" Brock began running towards his fallen Pokémon. "Croagunk, are you-?"

He was cut off when Toxicroak croaked menacingly at Brock, his sac bloated even more. The aspiring Pokémon Doctor took it as a warning to stay away. Looking up at Saturn, Brock could see the Team Galactic Commander had the same strange expression of dissatisfaction etched on his face.

"Toxicroak," the man ordered, "stand down."

Reluctantly, the Toxic Mouth Pokémon stepped away from Croagunk, allowing Brock to run up to his body and cradle it in his arms.

"Croagunk," Brock whispered. "Croagunk, are you alright? Please answer me!"

To his relief, Croagunk let out a soft croak, but he didn't regain consciousness. The Poison Jab was definitely effective in dealing severe damage to his body.

"Commander Saturn!" called a grunt from the steel door. "We have managed to fully open the door! Your next orders?"

"Continue onward," Saturn replied nonchalantly, facing away from Brock. He then looked at two Team Galactic grunts. "You two!"

"Yes, Commander Saturn!" chorused the two grunts.

The blue-haired man and his Toxicroak walked past the two grunts, replying as he did, "Take that boy and his Croagunk. Bring them up to headquarters and present him to one of the lieutenants for possible recruiting."

"Yes, Commander Saturn!"

Then, one grunt, surveying Brock and Croagunk with great interest, added, "I must say, Commander Saturn, you handled that threat pretty well."

"Yes, of course," replied Saturn nonchalantly. "After all, weaklings are nothing more than pushovers for me."

Overhearing this insult, Brock growled savagely, but did nothing more. He could only watch as Saturn followed the rest of his team into the new doorway and down the strange hallway. Left alone, the pair of Team Galactic grunts approached the Doctor.

"Come on, buster," one of the grunts said sternly. "It's time for you to meet your maker! So, I urge you to follow instructions to the very last letter!"

"And what if I don't want to go with you?!" snarled Brock defiantly. "Or follow your damn instructions?!"

The grunt chuckled maliciously and pulled out a Poké Ball. "Then we'll- OOF!"

He collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Before the other grunt could react, the unseen enemy attacked her as well, knocking her out too. Brock's lower jaw dropped open as he stared upon the two motionless bodies.

"Wow!" a chipper feminine voice exclaimed, sounding as if an extremely easy and pointless task had been accomplished. "I guess this makes two pairs of the same kind of grunts I had to take down in order to save someone! I hope this isn't gonna turn into a pattern..."

Brock turned to the speaker, and his eyes widened as he identified her.

"I don't believe it! _You_?!"

Leaf's grin widened as she regarded the former Pewter City Gym Leader.

"Hey there, Brock!" she greeted happily. "Long time, no see!"

Brock's lips burst into a relieved grin. "Leaf! Wow, it's been what, seven years since I last saw you?"

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters  
In the skies of Lumiose City**

Ash moaned as his eyelids fluttered open. As he did, he could hear an indiscernible voice call out faintly to him. At first, he was unable to recognize it, but as his senses sharpened and he adjusted himself back into the realm of consciousness, he deduced a chord of familiarity in that voice.

Then...

"Hey boy, wake up!"

The raven-haired Trainer immediately got up on his knees, noticing that his arms were tied behind his back. Looking around, he realized he was in a dark office, which was illuminated only by a crimson light that bathed everything in the color of blood. Standing by the walls at his sides were protective glass cases of various ancient artifacts, all of them unrecognizable to him.

Then, something caught his eye: an ancient engraving hanging on the wall behind a desk situated in front of him. It was a mural of sorts, depicting four sketches of different Pokémon from long ago. He identified the four Pokémon depicted as Moltres, Articuno, Zapdos, and Arcanine.

Ash's eyes widened in surprise. He had _seen_ that engraving before...at the Pokémon Center in Viridian City, during his first night as a Pokémon Trainer. He remembered his younger self misidentifying the engraving of Articuno as Ho-Oh.

_"But...why is it here?..."_ Ash asked in his mind.

"Astounding, isn't it?" the voice asked.

Ash cried out in surprise and turned around. Standing directly behind him was a short, stout man with a balding head of mauve hair and wearing a pair of small circular glasses with red lenses, along with a large black lab-coat, a black undershirt with a red tie, and black pants.

"This engraving was made by the people of Pokélantis," the man continued. "Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, and Arcanine were the empire's gods. See, Pokélantis all started by the seas of the Kanto region, where the first citizens of the empire lived. The seas were everything to them, and therefore, so were Articuno and Moltres, whose powers of ice and fire are the source and cradle of water itself, as well as Zapdos, whose electric energy creates the streams and currents that keep the ocean going. As for Arcanine, well, it was their guide and protector, but it has no relevance to our plans. Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres are where the gold lies."

It was at this point when Ash immediately recognized this man.

"You're that scientist who was with Team Galactic at Spear Pillar!" he exclaimed.

Charon chuckled and stepped past Ash. "My, my, quite a good memory you've got there, boy. I had trouble remembering you, but you were indeed at the Spear Pillar with that blue-haired girl and that squinted-eyed fellow. You were the one who bonded with the Willpower Pokémon Azelf. Dear ole Saturn was hoping to bond with that one, but I guess he should've been quicker at it." The elderly scientist chuckled again. "Guess the early Pidgey gets the Caterpie, am I right, boy?"

Ash gritted his teeth. "What do you want with me?!"

Charon turned around to face Ash, a malevolent grin on his face.

"Why, my boy, it's quite simple. I, or should I say, _we_ want _you_."

* * *

**Sycamore Laboratories  
****Southern Lumiose City**

"Thank you so much for letting us stay here while the situation passes," Clemont said as Sophie gave him a tall glass of milk. "I mean, who knows how dangerous these streets are, now that this airship thing is hovering over the Prism Tower?"

"Yes, it's very dangerous," replied Sophie. "It's a really good thing you and Bonnie decided to seek shelter, Clemont." She then looked at May, who was taking a sip of orange juice. "You too, May."

"Thank you," the Top Coordinator replied, smiling widely.

The blue-haired woman smiled, then turned around and walked away. "I have to go check on the Pokémon. You kids stay here, alright?"

"Okay. Thanks again, Sophie!"

Sophie nodded at May before stepping out of the room. This left only Clemont, Bonnie, and May, who were sitting in the room's central sofas; Clemont was sitting in one and Bonnie and May were seated on the other. Once Sophie was gone, Bonnie, who was sitting beside May, harrumphed and crossed her arms.

"I still think we should go help the others," she said angrily. "We could be doing lots of awesome and cute stuff at the Prism Tower while beating up bad guys!"

"For the last time, Bonnie," said Clemont in frustration, "it's too dangerous for you! You're still young! You shouldn't be going up against these kinds of bad guys!"

"But you let the others go!"

"Because they're Trainers! They're experienced enough to take care of themselves! You're neither, Bonnie!"

"But I've been taking really, really good care of Dedenne and the other Pokémon in our group ever since we first started traveling with Ash! Doesn't that count me as an experenced Trainer?"

"It's _experienced_, Bonnie, and I'm afraid that doesn't count. All of those Pokémon weren't yours."

"But Dedenne's mine, Clemont!"

"But _I_ caught him for you." Clemont pulled out a Poké Ball and showed it to his sister. "I hold Dedenne's Poké Ball. Whenever he needs to go inside, I have to be the one who returns him. That officially makes me Dedenne's Trainer." Then, before Clemont could control himself, he added, "You're not. You're not even a real Trainer, Bonnie. You're just the caretaker for Dedenne and the other Pokémon."

Bonnie gasped at the last sentence. Then, tears started to well up in her eyes as well as Dedenne's, shocking both Clemont and May.

"You're. Such. A. MEANIE!" she shouted.

"DEDENNE!" cried Dedenne in agreement.

A second later, they both burst into tears, and Bonnie wrapped her arms around May's torso, crying into her stomach.

"Bonnie!" May exclaimed. "Oh, Bonnie, don't cry! It's okay!"

"But Clemont said all those awful things!" the little girl cried. "He doesn't think I'm a real Trainer!"

Clemont sputtered, trying to think of something comforting to say. Then, when he was finally about to say something, May spoke first.

"It's okay, Bonnie. If you've been taking care of Dedenne and the other Pokémon like you're saying, then you're already good enough to be a Trainer."

To Clemont's dismay, Bonnie and Dedenne both stopped crying, and the former looked up at the Top Coordinator in awe.

"_Really_?..." she asked.

"Yep! See, sometimes, it's not all about being of age or having a Poké Ball or even making commands that makes you a Pokémon Trainer. As long as you have a strong bond with a Pokémon and understand how to treat them well, then that's good enough." May smiled brightly at the girl. "You're already a Pokémon Trainer in my eyes!"

Bonnie's eyes shimmered, but not of tears. Instead, it was from complete awe and admiration.

"Wow, May!" the girl cried, blushing. "You're so cool! I wish you were my sister!"

**"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"**

Clemont shot up from his sofa, staring at both girls with an enraged expression.

"Clemont?" asked May nervously. "What's-?"

"Oh, what's wrong?!" Clemont interrupted angrily. "What's wrong, you tell me?! Oh, I'll tell you what's wrong! You! You're always butting in!"

May blinked in confusion. "Butting in? Butting in what?"

"Me and Bonnie! I'm the older sibling!" He gestured towards himself. "ME! _I'm_ supposed to be the one comforting her whenever she has a problem! Not you!"

"Well..._you_ were the one who gave Bonnie the problem in the first place-"

"IT DOESN'T MATTER, MAY! I should be apologizing to her for saying that kind of mean stuff and telling her that she'll be the best Pokémon Trainer there'll ever be and stuff like that! I should also be the one protecting her from danger and telling her what she should or shouldn't be doing! Not you! You shouldn't be doing any of those things! And you especially shouldn't be a sister to Bonnie!"

"Why not?!" exclaimed Bonnie. "May's a friend! She's cool!"

"She may be a friend, but she shouldn't be taking my role!" He looked back at May. "Tell you what, May, why don't you butt out and get out?! Speaking of which, don't you have your own sibling to look after?!"

May's eyes widened, and she frowned angrily. "Don't you dare bring him into this!"

"Bring who into this?!" asked Clemont tauntingly.

"Max!"

"It's funny. You just call him 'Max'. You don't say 'my brother' or something like that."

"So what?!"

Clemont gritted his teeth, memories of the jealous and rejected Max flashing across his mind. "He _is_ your brother, May! So why don't you go be a good older sister for him, and not for Bonnie!"

"Look, Max can take care of himself! He doesn't need me for protection and guidance."

"And you don't need him to call you 'sis', apparently."

May's eyes narrowed. "That nickname's childish and outdated. He knows I'm his sister. He doesn't need to keep reminding me every chance he gets."

"Yeah, well, something tells me it's a little more than that."

"What are you talking about, Clemont?"

"I think he's trying to remind you that _you're_ his sister."

May pursed her lips. "And why would he do that?"

However, Clemont chuckled. "You can't even admit it! And that's _exactly_ why he's trying to remind you that!"

"And what in the world does _that_ have to do with me butting in your relationship with Bonnie? Something tells _me_ that this relationship needs some fixing on your part. Don't try changing the subject on me, Clemont; I think it's pretty clear who's really guilty of being a terrible older sibling."

"_You're_ the one who's changing the subject, May," replied Clemont, his lips curving into a satisfied smile. "And yes, it's pretty clear who's guilty of being a terrible older sibling." He pointed at May accusingly. "And it's the one who's trying to deny everything! At least _I'm_ being honest about myself! Why aren't _you_?!"

May gritted her teeth. "Are you asking for a _fight_, Clemont?!" she roared.

"If it's what it'll take for you to understand, then yes, I AM asking for a fight!"

"FINE!" May pulled out a Poké Ball. "Go, Blaziken!"

She threw the device into the air, unleashing her Blaze Pokémon. Clemont grinned, pulled out his own Poké Ball, and threw it into the air.

"Come on out, Luxray!"

The Gleam Eyes Pokémon appeared from the device and roared angrily at Blaziken. In response, Blaziken's fists began to flare up with fire. The two Pokémon stared each other down, channeling their Trainers' aggression and hatred toward each other.

* * *

Outside the labs, Princess Diane approached the main doorway and prepared to knock on it, all the while excited to reunite herself with Bonnie and Clemont. However, before her knuckles could hit the surface of the door, she suddenly felt her entire body go immobile. She couldn't even move her lips to speak.

Then, she felt herself being lifted in the air and turned around by an unseen force. Once she was turned around 180 degrees, Diane found herself face-to-face with a Hypno. Absolute terror filled her face as she realized she was most likely under the hold of the people after her...

Suddenly, she felt woozy, and her vision started to blur. Everything seemed unreal to her now...

_**"Do not resist..."**_

"Yes..." Diane replied, her lips moving on their own volition. "Do not resist..."

* * *

Alastair smirked as soon as the effects of Hypnosis quickly took control of the princess. He wasn't counting on coming across the Jewel Pokémon Diancie, let alone one who was completely disguised as a human, but he decided to seize the opportunity nevertheless. As soon as he spotted Diancie in human form, the Syndicate lieutenant knew it had to be her, since her clothes seemed to match the appearance and color scheme of a regular Diancie. He then got his answer when he scanned her with a high-tech device from a distance.

He really did come across a Diancie, one of the Legendary Pokémon sorely desired by the Syndicate.

"Hypno!" Alastair ordered. "You know what to do!"

The Hypnosis Pokémon nodded, prompting Alastair to turn back and whistle in the air. A deafening screech permeated the air, and the black-haired man watched as a large birdlike Pokémon flew towards the area. It stopped a few feet above the ground and then gently landed, allowing Hypno and Diancie to climb aboard its back. Alastair approached the Pokémon and patted its wing twice.

"Articuno, take these two back to headquarters!" he commanded. "I'll be right behind you!"

The Freeze Pokémon nodded and screeched loudly in response, then lifted itself off the ground with a rush of air and flew back towards the distant airship, Hypno and Diancie still on its back. Alastair watched all of them go, then turned back towards the laboratory and pulled out a Poké Ball.

"I've just got some personal business to take care of..." he added, a devious grin appearing on his face.

* * *

_"And thus begins the **championed duel** between heroes for possession of the Grand Chalice!"_

–Sir Willard Quakebow, _A Hero's Grand Journey_

* * *

**Next time on "Judgment's Fall"**

**Alastair:** Believe me, this is _just_ the beginning.

**May:** You get away from him right now!

**Drew:** Looking for this?

**Hilbert:** DON'T CALL TEPIG WEAK!

**The Benefactor:** Soon... Very soon...

**Ash:** You guys won't get away with this!

**Calem:** AURA **SPHERE**!

**Chapter 24: A Grand Scheme**

* * *

**A/N:** And even more shit is hitting the fan! What will happen next, now that our heroes are suffering under the Syndicate's might and even tearing each other apart?!

I'd like to thank those who reviewed:

**-Hero Time 18:**

**1)** No, no Volt Tackle for Pikachu.

**2)** Well, since he's captured, obviously yes.

**-ChE clarinetist:** Hmmmmm... Are you sure about that? ;)

**-SakuraNinjaress:**

**1)** And it looks like that conflict is getting to a head! Will it ever be resolved?! :D

**2)** Since Ash is captured, you will be seeing a reunion soon, so don't worry about that. :)

**-Gyga (guest reviewer):**

**1)** Nope, so far, Lawrence III isn't with the Syndicate. _So far_.

**2)** Well, now that Ash is captured as well, there goes the Big Damn Heroes moment. XD

**3)** I think I might I do that, but it'll depend on when exactly we'll learn more details about the whole Ash-Greninja thing. I don't want to go into unknown territory and make up stuff that may or may not be right.

**-DodgingKing:**

**1)** I'm pretty sure the blue ribbon was referenced at least a couple of times previously. I had to edit Serena's new design in when it appeared in the actual anime, so the blue ribbon no doubt had to go with it. :)

**2)** No, Lawrence III didn't die in the movie. He was last seen vowing to begin his collection again.

**3)** Yeah, isn't it weird to see Ash without Pikachu? :O

**-Emily (guest reviewer):**

**1)** Well, it's just a coincidence that both the Benefactor and Adam have burns on their faces. Don't mind it.

**2)** Probably a whole lot of shit. :P

**3)** Thanks for wishing me a belated happy birthday! It's very much appreciated. :D

**-InfiniteImmunity:** Yep, definitely a lot of mayhem will come from the Syndicate Seven. But not just yet. ;)

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	26. A Grand Scheme

**A/N:** Merry Christmas, everyone! I present you another new chapter of this story! Ho ho ho! And on the first anniversary of this story's publication, no more, no less! How very fitting, isn't it?

ENJOY!

**P.S.:** Brace yourselves, everyone! This is going to be another super-long chapter! Hopefully all of you are up for the task of reading this little doozy to the very end! :D

* * *

**Sycamore Laboratories  
****Southern Lumiose City**

Alastair stood in front of the lab's main doorway, smiling in satisfaction. It had been a long time since he was last here, and there were a number of renovations certainly done to improve the appearance of the building complex. However, there was one obvious thing that remained the same.

_That stupid doorway_...

"Bring that thing down, Hive."

There was a blur of silver, stabbing at the doorway at such astounding speed that one could barely make it out in its assault. Seconds later, the entire doorway and the walls surrounding it disintegrated, creating a larger, more dramatic entryway for Alastair. Clouds of thick, gray smoke billowed out as a result, but the same silver blur began swiping away at the air, fanning the smoke and causing it to disperse into nothingness. Alastair's smile widened as he stepped through the self-made entryway, his Klinklang at his right and his Shiny Gengar at his left.

As soon as he stepped into the main lobby, a familiar voice suddenly permeated the air.

"What was that noise?!"

_"Ah, this day just keeps getting better and better,"_ thought Alastair.

Two women wearing lab-coats, one with blue hair and the other with purple hair, ran into the lobby. Right behind them were a teenage boy with blond hair and wearing a light-blue workman's suit and circular glasses, a teenage girl with light-brown hair and wearing a red tank-top and bow along with white biker shorts, and a little girl with blonde hair identical to the boy's and wearing a brown shirt and black shorts with a yellow satchel and white skirt. A Blaziken, a Luxray, and a Garchomp were standing right behind the children, looking extremely aggressive, but Alastair wasn't daunted by their presences.

"What do you think you're doing?!" shouted the teenage girl, who Alastair identified as May Maple, one of Courtney's so-called 'friends'.

"What does it look like?" replied Alastair, shrugging. "Breaking in to trash the whole damn place!"

The blue-haired woman's eyes widened in horror, and Alastair couldn't help but relish in the moment.

"No!" she cried. "It can't be you!"

"Oh _yes_, Sophie," Alastair replied, sneering. "It's _me_, believe it or not. You've certainly kept this place in tiptop shape. My apologies for the grand entrance, though; I had to make sure it was as villainous as possible." He then scanned her body from head to toe with a lewd expression. "I must say, this place isn't the only thing that's been kept in tiptop shape. You've always been hot, but you definitely look quite hotter in that lab-coat. Augustine's one lucky guy, I gotta tell ya!" He bared his teeth savagely as he rubbed his finger on his chin. "I probably have myself a new fetish..."

"S-Sophie?" asked the teenage boy; Alastair identified this child as Clemont, the Lumiose City Gym Leader. "Who is this?..."

"Alastair Sycamore," Sophie replied in disgust. "Professor Sycamore's younger brother."

* * *

**Chapter 24: A Grand Scheme**

* * *

"WHAT?!" Clemont, Bonnie, and May exclaimed at once.

"Professor Sycamore has a _brother_?!" cried Bonnie. "I didn't know that!"

"Dedenne!" Dedenne added, looking equally shocked.

Alastair immediately began cackling, and he placed his hand over his face in glee. "That's priceless!" he roared, his voice slightly muffled by his palm. "So, so, SO priceless! Did my precious big brother never tell you about _me_? Not even a _sound bite_ of trivia? HAHAHAHAHA! That's SO Augustine! He's gotta show and tell everyone everything that is good about him! Screw all the horrible secrets of his life, such as me! HA!" He lowered his hand, revealing a devious expression. "But it matters no more. Pretty soon, the whole _world_ will know about me..."

Sophie snarled, "The only thing the world needs to know about _you_, Alastair, is that you're a lying, sociopathic crook with no regard for anyone but yourself!" She narrowed her eyes. "You're behind all of this, aren't you? That airship flying near the Prism Tower?"

"Why, you are correct, Sophie! That is my work, and the work of about 300 organizations you so courteously call criminals!" He stepped forward, prompting the others to back away from him defensively. "You see, you may call us crooks or criminals, but the truth is, we're nothing more than the underdogs of the world. We all have grand ambitions for this era, for the _future_! But the madness you call your society would not accept our teachings! Instead, they labeled them as cruel, unethical, and most of all, _impossible_. But like the philosophers of the ancient world, whose teachings were similarly rejected by the masses, we have risen up from the shadows to spread our ideas, our Books of Alpha...the keys to the _future_!"

"You seriously think that controlling Legendary Pokémon is the key to the future? That's nothing revolutionary; it's only something a madman would speak highly of! These Legendary Pokémon are not like any average Pokémon; they're _gods_! To wield that kind of power for something as simple as a Pokémon battle is just plain irresponsible!"

Alastair crossed his arms. "But they're still _Pokémon_, just like any other Pokémon! If mankind is allowed control, superiority, and property rights over a Pokémon like Bulbasaur, then why shouldn't the same be applied to a Pokémon like Xerneas?"

Examining Alastair's rhetoric, Clemont and May both gritted their teeth. Even Bonnie, who didn't understand much of what Alastair was saying, immediately understood the villainous tone lacing the man's voice and frowned as well.

Sophie continued, "And that was the final nail in the coffin, Alastair! That's why the Pokémon Institute rejected your idea! If you view Pokémon as nothing more than tools, if you think the sole purpose of their existence is to obey humans and not be their equals, then it's pretty clear that you weren't meant to be a Pokémon researcher!"

"But Pokémon _are_ tools designed to _obey_ humans. There's no way they can ever be our equals."

"How could you _say_ that?!" May screamed in outrage. "Blaziken's been with me for as long as I've been a Trainer, and not once have I ever viewed her as a tool!"

"Yeah!" added Clemont. "Luxray's not just my Pokémon, he's my _friend_! If I could feel those kinds of emotions toward my Pokémon, then there's no way they're just tools in my eyes! You've perverted the meaning of a relationship between a Trainer and a Pokémon!"

Blaziken and Luxray both roared angrily in agreement.

Alastair started cackling again. "_I've_ perverted the meaning of a relationship between a Trainer and a Pokémon?!" he cried. "And you view Pokémon as your _friends_?! Oh, how priceless! So you're telling me that using Pokémon to battle for prizes isn't the same thing as using a baseball bat to win a baseball game?"

"It's not the same thing!" Clemont exclaimed. "For starters, the baseball bat isn't even alive and never has feelings!"

"Yeah, and before we know it, a new species of Pokémon resembling baseball bats will be discovered. I mean, look at Trubbish and Garbodor!"

"Those two species were created by freak accidents! But that doesn't make them tools! They have minds and feelings of their own, the same as any other living being!"

Alastair scoffed, as did Klinklang and Gengar. "So you kids mean to tell me that we should respect every tool we see? Like a cellphone? Or a wrench?" He pointed out of the doorway. "Or that Arceus-damn airship?!" He scoffed again. "Grow up, kids. A tool can perform a simple task, but it can also double as a weapon. Some tools are even designed for the sake of _killing_. _Pokémon_ fit the former option...and they _know_ it. So if we show them weakness, like considering them our _friends_ and _equals_, then they can use the weapon part of themselves to fight back and overthrow the human race."

"What makes you think my Blaziken will not turn against me?" spat May. "I've known her for four years."

"Same with Luxray," added Clemont.

"And Dedenne!" Bonnie shouted.

"DEDENNE!" Dedenne squeaked furiously.

Alastair's lips curved into a nasty sneer. "They're just sucking up to you, just like any other so-called good Pokémon does. But whenever a tool breaks on you, all you have to do is fix it." He bared his teeth as he looked from his Klinklang to his Gengar, who were both stoic. "And when any other fix won't do, a _kick_-start will do the trick. Shows the tool who's in control in the process."

Clemont, May, and Bonnie's eyes widened at the implication.

"YOU'RE HORRIBLE!" May hollered.

"YOU'RE A MONSTER!" Clemont roared.

"YOU'RE A MEANIE!" screeched Bonnie.

"**DEDENNE**!" squealed Dedenne.

However, Sophie merely shook her head. "I see you haven't changed one bit, Alastair," she said, not bothering to hold back her tone of disapproval.

"Oh, I've changed, dear Sophie," replied Alastair. "I've changed for the _better_." He then held out his arms gloriously. "And believe me, this is _just_ the beginning."

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters  
In the skies of Lumiose City**

"What do you mean you want me?!" demanded Ash.

Charon sneered and tilted his head. "Well, we saw that news report of you calming down that Garchomp a few months back," he replied. The scientist approached the raven-haired Trainer and patted him on the back. "Gotta say, kid, it was really impressive. Not even our best agents could go within that distance to soothe an agitated Pokémon. And that's not all. We're well aware of all your..._other exploits_. The events with Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres at the Orange Islands; the incident at Greenfield; Deoxys and Rayquaza's battle at LaRousse City; and the first fiasco at Alamos Town. Just to name a few."

Ash's eyes widened as Charon listed off all of the incidents he had been involved in. He could tell where this conversation was going...

Indeed, the scientist stepped in front of Ash and took his face in his palm so he could move it around while he was examining it.

"I wonder how you were able to accomplish all of those magnificent, unfeasible feats..." Charon remarked.

"If you wanna know, then too bad!" snarled Ash. "I already know about your Syndicate organization, and what you guys have done. You're gonna use whatever you think I have for you so you can capture more Legendary Pokémon and use them for your own evil needs! I'm not gonna give you anything!"

"Oh, we have no intention of having you _give_ anything to us. We'll just _take_ whatever we need-" He snapped his fingers. "-By force."

Suddenly, Ash sensed someone behind him, preparing to strike-

The raven-haired boy twirled around and caught the gangling arm in midair. Seconds later, he recognized his beloved cap perched on the mat of long, stringy green hair.

"What?!" exclaimed the green-haired man, his eyes widening in terror. "How'd he sense me?!"

"Kidd's account of the incident at the Tree of Beginning stated that this kid has magnificent Aura-wielding capabilities!" Charon cried, stepping back in concern. "But that means nothing! Copper, stand your ground and knock him out! He may be an Aura-user, but he is still a boy!"

_"That's right..."_ Ash thought. _"I have the ability to use Aura... That must be why I sensed him behind me..."_

"YOU'RE GOING DOWN, KIDDO!" Copper roared savagely as he swung his unoccupied fist at Ash.

Centuries-old reflexes suddenly took over Ash's body before he even knew it. In a matter of seconds, he had managed to dodge the punch, spring up to his feet, grab a nearby potted plant, and use it to smash open a case containing an ancient pole that resembled a baton. Copper growled and reached into his pocket for a Poké Ball.

"I'm gonna have Beedrill skin ya alive!" he snarled. "I'll- OOF!"

Before he knew it, Ash grabbed the baton and swung it across the man's face, knocking him out. As Copper collapsed to the floor, the red-and-white cap fell off his hair, and Ash caught it with great reflexes. He dropped the ancient baton to the floor with a loud clanging noise and put the cap on, adjusting it. Once the cap was secured to his spiky jet-black hair, the Trainer stared upon Copper's unconscious form.

"Thank you for returning my cap," he spat.

Then, Ash gave a deadly glare towards Charon, who was grinning deviously despite this newest development.

"I underestimated you, Ash Ketchum," the scientist said. "When Copper told me how easy it was to capture you, I thought you might've forgotten your comprehension of Aura abilities. But I guess that considering your normal lifestyle, your abilities only kick in when the situation is extremely dire. Very interesting." He began rubbing his chin with his index finger in wonder. "It seems that the real experiment has just begun..."

"This experiment just ended, old man," Ash replied angrily.

He tried to reach for a Poké Ball, but realized there was none. Searching his belt and pockets, he was quick to realize that all of his Poké Balls were missing.

"Well isn't _that_ interesting," remarked Charon tauntingly, his index finger still rubbing his chin. "You have no Pokémon to defend you. Now, to save the day, you must rely on a power that you can only comprehend on a basic level. Not the most appealing scenario to be in." He chuckled devilishly. "Are you willing to take that risk?"

"It's better than nothing."

"You will fall to the Syndicate's forces eventually."

Ash pursed his lips. "Well, I have to try."

"Then by all means!" Charon stretched out his arms in a gesture of surrender. "Try."

The raven-haired Trainer immediately seized this chance to flee the room. Once the door automatically closed behind Ash, Charon chuckled again.

"What's that about the experiment just ending, boy?" he asked to no one in particular.

* * *

In his personal room, the Benefactor watched the surveillance footage alongside Curtis. This time, the screens were no longer focused on the Prism Tower and the surrounding areas. Instead, they were recording the entire interior of the Syndicate headquarters, specifically areas Ash Ketchum was running in.

"Run, Ash Ketchum, run," whispered the Syndicate leader. "Let's see how long you can last without your precious Pokémon..."

"Forgive me for asking, sir," Curtis piped, "but if this Ketchum guy befriended several Legendary Pokémon and has a peculiar bond with Pokémon like our research on him said, why didn't we use him to lure in the Legendary Pokémon we have now? Why did we go through all that trouble of tracking the Legendaries down ourselves before capturing them?"

"Ash Ketchum has a bad tendency of mucking around in everyone's plans once he finds out about them." He pursed his lips nastily as he observed Ash's movements. "The original schemes of Teams Aqua, Magma, Galactic, and Plasma were doomed because of that one fact. If we got Ketchum involved prematurely in any way, then our master scheme would've been destined to fail. We had to acquire enough strength and numbers before we could deal with that boy."

The Benefactor smirked as he watched one computer screen, which was recording Ash trying to choose between three hallways in front of him.

"And now that we have made tremendous, magnificent progress, we also have Ash Ketchum on his toes. A desirable outcome."

Curtis looked at the same screen, his eyes narrowed in concern. "But isn't it risky to have him running around headquarters like this? He might still find a way to undermine our plans."

"And when he does, then we will respond appropriately. For now, let's have him enjoy the hospitality of the Syndicate!"

* * *

"Where am I going? Where am I going, where am I going?!"

Ash panted and sweated as he ran down countless hallways, from one room to another, and opened door after door after door. The last time he was in this airship, he only got to see the large room where Moltres and Zapdos were being held captive. As a result, he was shocked to know that this airship had so many rooms, all with different functions. There was a cafeteria, training rooms, special rooms reserved for Pokémon, sightseeing locales, bedrooms, bathrooms, shower rooms, and even what looked like classrooms. However, there was one thing the rooms all had in common.

They were suspiciously empty.

Not once did he see a single person in any of the rooms. He didn't even see any evidence that people recently used the rooms he had seen so far. Then again, he was only on one floor, and he could tell there were dozens (perhaps hundreds) of floors in the airship.

But for the entire floor to be empty... It was disconcerting...

"Gotta find a staircase," Ash whispered, his tone desperate. "Gotta find a staircase..."

He burst into a kitchen. It was empty.

_**"You seek to help other innocent people in their affairs, e**__**ven people you don't know personally."**_

"Gotta find a staircase..."

He burst into a bedroom. It was empty as well.

_**"From what I've just seen today, it seems to me that you will not even stop to think about what kind of repercussions your help will serve."**_

"Gotta find one..."

He burst into a training room. Empty.

_**"Or better yet, if your help would give inconsiderate people an opening to take advantage of you."**_

"Gotta save the day..."

He burst into another training room. Empty.

_**"You cannot just **_**expect _to help some random person without thinking about if he or she's got some sort of evil intention in mind."_**

"Gotta save everyone..."

He burst into a classroom. Empty.

_**"Or at least one that disagrees with your beliefs."**_

"Shut up."

He burst into a shower room. Empty.

_**"When you're focused on trying to become a Pokémon Master-"**_

"Shut up, Calem."

He burst into another shower room. Empty.

_**"-You don't make an effort to do that. But when you actually **_**try _to make an effort-"_**

"Shut up! You know nothing about me!"

He burst into a bathroom and ran up to the sink.

_**"-You fall short on doing that exact thing."**_

Ash stared at his own reflection in the recently-cleaned mirror.

"I'm not falling short on anything, Calem! I will save the day! I will become a Pokémon Master! I will do both of those things without messing things up! Just you watch! I'm not a failure or a screw-up! I will accomplish my lifelong dreams! But I can't do that if you keep talking, so just shut up!"

_**"**_**Badly _so."_**

With a loud, inhuman roar of frustration, he punched the mirror with enough force that caused the glass to break. The cracks encompassed Ash's reflection, distorting it and giving it a horrid appearance. Panting, Ash continued staring at his reflection, and for a moment, he noticed a glimmer of red flashing across his pupil...

He heard something clattering to the floor. Twirling around, he saw three janitors standing in front of him, all wearing shocked expressions. One was a woman with long magenta hair, another was a man with chin-length blue hair, and the third curiously resembling a Meowth. Lying beside the woman's foot was a mop.

"Who are you three?!" Ash cried, preparing to raise his baton. Then, he realized he dropped it somewhere a while back. "Are you working for the Syndicate?!"

The three looked at each other knowingly, as if they were debating about something using their expressions. Then, they turned their heads back toward Ash.

"It's us, main twoip!" the Meowth-like janitor whispered. "Team Rocket!"

Ash blinked in shock and confusion. "Team Rocket?" he asked.

"In the flesh!" the disguised Jessie said in response.

However, the raven-haired Trainer took a defensive stance. "You're working for the Syndicate too!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, main twerp, don't get your undies in a bunch!" James exclaimed, raising his hands in a gesture of submission and surrender. "For your information, our boss is pretty unhappy with this whole Syndicate business. He sent us to spy on them!"

"Spy on them?"

"Yes!" Jessie replied. "There's no way Team Rocket would ever join up with another organization and share the glory of world domination with them! It's ludicrous!" She read the apprehensive expression on Ash's face. "Oh, come on, twerp, you've known us for seven years! We may be evil, but we're not _that_ evil! Trust us, in no way do we approve all of these shenanigans!"

_"That's true..."_ Ash thought, remembering how megalomaniacal and proud the overall Team Rocket organization was during his few encounters with them, as well as the trio's assistance in saving the world on more than a few occasions. Then, he asked, "Okay, so you aren't really working for the Syndicate; you're just spying on them...disguised as janitors?"

"Hey, if we're good at one thing, it's disguising ourselves as the underdogs!"

"Okay. Did...Did you guys find out anything about what the Syndicate has planned?"

"Very few stuff," replied Meowth, shaking his head. "We managed ta break inta reinfoyced vault dat contained a whole bunch of boxes. Accoyding ta da boss, dey all had someting ta do wit lasers. But dat's about it. We couldn't find anyting else."

"Nothing else? Not even what they have planned for Lumiose City?"

"Just someting about dat tall towa in da middle of da city-"

"You mean the Prism Tower?" interrupted Ash.

"Yeah, Prism Towa, waddevah. But dat's all I can say."

"You forgot something else, Meowth," James said. "Remember, the music disc?"

"Oh yeah, forgot 'bout dat!"

"Music disc?" asked Ash, his eyebrow arched curiously.

"Yeah," Jessie replied. "Now, I'm assuming you saw what happened at Alamos Town, right?"

"...Yeah..."

"Well, before they knocked that tower down, they stole one of the music discs. You know, the things they play at the top of those towers for everyone in town to hear?"

"Oh yeah, those!" A surge of concern filled Ash's eyes. "Do you know which disc they took?"

"Not sure-" began James.

"YOU HAVE TO KNOW!" Ash roared, cutting the blue-haired man off. "YOU CAN'T JUST LET THAT KIND OF INFO SLIP BY YOU!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" James pleaded, shielding his face with his arms. "Please don't hurt me!"

"Calm down, twerp!" exclaimed Jessie. "We're trying to help you here! Do you think now would be a good time for any of us to be dishonest with you?!"

"BUT HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO STOP THE SYNDICATE WITH THIS KIND OF INFORMATION?!" He then narrowed his eyes, and he spoke in a low growl, "You probably even had many chances of stopping the Syndicate yourselves, then and there... But you guys didn't take those chances... You're probably gonna wait till the Syndicate takes over the world and then you guys can undermine them and take their power."

"While that makes sense, our boss doesn't think that way. There's no way Team Rocket would want anyone to do all the dirty work for them, _especially_ when it comes to the prospect of world conquest. It's too cowardly, even for the three of us. Why do you think we've been trying to capture Pikachu all these years in person instead of just hiring someone else, someone with the necessary skills and experience, to do the job?" Jessie then narrowed her eyes suspiciously, her blue eyes flitting towards Ash's shoulder. "Speaking of which...where's Pikachu? For once, he's not on your shoulder like he always is."

Ash's eyes softened, and he replied, "He's probably with my friends...who are all in danger..."

"If only he was 'ere," Meowth said. "Maybe he coulda saved da day wit one of his nice little Thundabolts."

Ash didn't respond. Instead, he looked down at the floor, feeling guilty that he had forgotten about Pikachu, his first Pokémon, for so long. Now, he was wondering what was happening to him right now. Was he still battling Syndicate forces? Or was he being held in captivity? Either way, neither option seemed more appealing than the other, since the raven-haired Trainer knew that Pikachu was operating without him, and he remembered that the two of them were always a great team...

"It doesn't matter now, Meowth," Jessie replied. "For now, we have to help the twerp save the day. Once again."

"Like the good ole times," added James, smiling proudly as if he were basking in some sort of outside attention.

"What good ole times?" Meowth asked in a deadpan tone.

"Whatever." James looked at Ash. "Okay, twerp, we may not have any important information on what the Syndicate is going to do right now, or what they plan to do next, but we do have something just as important."

"Which is?" asked Ash.

"An approximate location of the holding cells," Jessie replied. "We have good reason to believe they're holding some captives there. That probably includes your friends."

"They're holding people captive?"

"Didn't I just say that? Anyway, the holding cells are down below at the lowest floor, the basement if you will. There should be an elevator a few more doors down the hallway outside."

"Okay," Ash replied, just as another thought of Pikachu crossed his mind. "What about the Pokémon?"

"Pardon me?"

"Do you know where they're holding all the Pokémon captive?"

"Nope, but I figure that once you free the other twerps, then you guys can take things from there."

"Okay..."

"Alright. But be warned, twerp, there are cameras everywhere, including outside this very bathroom. There's no doubt they recorded all of us going in."

"And if we all get outta 'ere all fine and dandy," Meowth added, "den me and my pals' covahs will be blown to bits!"

"What're you saying, Meowth?" Ash asked.

"What I'm sayin' is dat we need ta make it look like ya got da drop on us!" The Scratch Cat Pokémon showed Ash a wristwatch. "Every memba of da Syndicate must press dis watch if someting goes wrong, like an intruda. We're gonna give ya five minutes till we trigger da alarm."

"Five minutes is all I need, Meowth." His eyes narrowed darkly. "Five minutes is all I need..."

Meowth scoffed, failing to notice Ash's expression. "Good luck wit dat. Dis place is bigger dan a mountain on top of a mountain. It might take ya a while ta get to da basement."

"I suggest you start running now, twerp," James added.

"But what about you guys?" asked Ash. "What're you guys gonna do?"

"Don't worry about us, twerp!" exclaimed Jessie, giving the Trainer a dismissive wave. "We've got you covered."

"Yeah," James said. "Just get on outta here and save the day like you always do so we can go back to our regular routine!"

Ash stared at the trio apprehensively for a moment. Then, he didn't waste another moment; bursting into a full-on sprint, he fled the bathroom with all of the energy he could channel to his legs, leaving Jessie, James, and Meowth alone.

As he passed one door after another after another, Ash began to think about what he was going to do once he reached the basement and found the holding cells. What would everyone think of him once they saw his face again? What would happen once he got the prisoners out? Would they really be able to save the day and go back to the regular routine, just like James said?

Because something told Ash that things were never going to be the same afterward...

_**"Better keep running, Ash. Keep on running..."**_

* * *

**The Prism Tower  
Lumiose City**

_**"You're gonna need the strength."**_

Brock and Leaf walked down the hallway, their Poké Balls ready. The both of them were wearing the uniforms they stole from the two Team Galactic grunts knocked out by Leaf a few minutes ago. Because Croagunk was still unconscious and Brock had no other Pokémon on him, he returned the Toxic Mouth Pokémon to its Poké Ball and borrowed one of Leaf's own Poké Balls, though he didn't know what Pokémon was inside it. He tried asking Leaf, only to receive this response:

_"It's a surprise!"_

When Leaf kept giving him that response, he realized he would have to find out once he inevitably had to use it.

"Is this going to work, Leaf?" asked Brock, glancing at the female Trainer.

"Of course, Brock!" Leaf replied, her tone still chipper. "It works in all those cartoons; it's gotta work here!"

"But...this isn't a cartoon, Leaf..."

"Oh Brock, you gotta learn to loosen up!"

"No offense, Leaf, but how am I supposed to loosen up when there's an organization of criminals out to take over Lumiose City, and possibly the whole world?"

However, instead of replying, Leaf raised her hand. "Hush! We're getting close..."

"To where?" whispered Brock.

"The motherboard, the device responsible for all the tower's technology."

"What in the world would those guys want from a motherboard?"

"Well, considering this tower provides power to all of Lumiose City, I think the answer's fairly obvious."

Brock's eyes widened in terror. "We must stop them, then!" he shouted.

"Be quiet, Brock!" snapped Leaf in a low voice. "I just told you we were getting close!"

"Oh, sorry..."

"Who's there?" called a voice.

Brock and Leaf immediately stood at attention like soldiers as a woman with purple hair approached them. Brock was quick to recognize this woman as Jupiter, another Team Galactic Commander. When she spotted them, her purple eyes narrowed as she examined the two disguised Trainers from head to toe. Brock began to sweat, fearing that the woman might see through their disguises easily and call the other grunts to her assistance.

Jupiter asked, "Who are you two? I don't recall bringing you along for this mission."

"Oh, we were sent to fill in the other two guys," replied Leaf calmly. When Jupiter glared at her with suspicion, she quickly added, "You know, the two guys? Saturn sent them back up to headquarters to transport the Trainer with the Croagunk?"

"Yes, I am aware of who you are talking about." Jupiter narrowed her eyes further. "Though...I don't recall recruiting you two into Team Galactic's ranks..."

"We're recent defects from another organization. We thought Team Galactic was more entertaining."

"Really? Which organization did you defect from?"

"Why should we tell you? We no longer belong to that organization." Leaf brought a clenched fist to her chest, jabbing it energetically. "We pledge our allegiances to Team Galactic and Team Galactic only! Well, also the Syndicate, obviously, but we pledge our allegiances to Team Galactic specifically!"

Jupiter blinked in shock at Leaf's explanation. Then, she shrugged, clearly impressed.

"Very well," the purple-haired woman replied. "Team Galactic is in need of some new members anyway. Especially loyal members like you." She then glared at Brock, whose sweating intensified. "What about you? Are you loyal to Team Galactic as well?"

"Yes," Brock replied quickly, but this caused Jupiter to purse her lips.

"...Not much of a talker, are you?"

"He's the brawn of this duo!" Leaf interjected suddenly. "I'm the brains, and the mouth. But yes, we are both loyal to Team Galactic and its cause. Go New World Order!"

Jupiter blinked again, then turned around and began to walk away.

"Okay," she said. "Well then, follow me. We have some work to do, and we do need a couple of extra hands."

"Okey-dokey!"

Brock and Leaf began trailing Jupiter, with the latter adding a slight skip to her walking. Brock looked at the younger Trainer, his eyebrows raised.

"You're quite the negotiator, Leaf," he said. "That was impressive."

"Really?" Leaf looked up at him innocently, like a child. "I'm pretty sure what I did is called _lying_. Lying's not impressive."

"Either way, you've really changed since the last time I saw you. What happened to you?"

Leaf smiled cheekily. "Well, I did some training, Brock. That's what!"

* * *

It didn't take long for Brock, Leaf, and Jupiter to arrive at the destination: a room containing rows of processors, all of which were currently active. Brock and Leaf spotted the various grunts tinkering with the processors using several tools made from advanced, state-of-the-art technology that Brock had never seen before. Judging from their tools and movements, they appeared to be electronically installing something into the devices.

"Okay, you two," Jupiter said, catching the attention of the two Trainers. "You will both do the two processors at that corner over there." She pointed off towards the lower corner to her left. "Think you can do that?"

"Actually," replied a crafty Leaf as she procured her Poké Ball, "I have other plans!" She threw the device into the air. "Go, Venusaur! Use Vine Whip!"

The Seed Pokémon emerged with a flash of light, roared, and unleashed its vines, using them to attack any and all nearby Syndicate grunts. Any grunts that managed to avoid the Vine Whip ducked for cover and did all they could to shield their technology, instead of springing up to attack defensively, curiously enough. Brock's eyes widened at the sudden, seemingly last-minute decision made by Leaf, as did Jupiter's.

"You sneaky little Rattata!" the Team Galactic Commander roared. "You LIED to me!"

"Really?" asked Leaf in an innocent voice. "I'm pretty sure what I did is called _negotiation_."

Brock sweat-dropped at the girl's remark.

Jupiter, in the meantime, growled savagely and threw two Poké Balls. "Skuntank, use Toxic!" she commanded. "Golbat, use Sludge Bomb!"

Knowing Leaf's Venusaur would fall easily to Poison-type attacks, Brock threw the Poké Ball she gave him, hoping that whatever Pokémon was inside would change the tide of the battle.

"COME ON OUT!" he shouted. "WHOEVER YOU ARE!"

There was a flash of light, and once it cleared out, Brock's eyes widened (as much as they could). In the meantime, Leaf's lips twisted into a grin.

"I told you it would be a surprise, Brock!" she exclaimed cheerfully.

* * *

**Sycamore Laboratories  
****Southern Lumiose City  
Approximately an hour later**

Another explosion rocked the lab, blowing out another gaping hole in one of the walls. Blaziken, Bunnelby, and Glaceon jumped through it, pursued closely by Klinklang and an Accelgor. A Hyper Beam tore through the same wall seconds later, barely missing the Klinklang. Garchomp then burst through it with a loud roar and slashed at the Gear Pokémon, but it managed to move itself out of the way from the attack. An Escavalier then appeared from behind and struck Garchomp with an X-Scissor, while Klinklang refocused on Blaziken, Bunnelby, and Glaceon, firing a Mirror Shot at the trio.

"DODGE, GUYS!" May and Clemont's voices rang out.

The three did so, and the Mirror Shot hit a nearby bookshelf instead. The wooden structure nearly collapsed on Glaceon, who barely managed to avoid it. However, Klinklang seized the opportunity of Glaceon's distraction to fire another Mirror Shot at it. This time, the Fresh Snow Pokémon couldn't avoid the super-effective attack, and it was violently thrown into another wall, wailing in pain as it did. Blaziken and Bunnelby tried to rush to Glaceon's aid, but two strange, spidery tentacles made of a mercury-like substance wrapped themselves around their bodies and aggressively smashed them repeatedly onto the floor before throwing them into the lab walls.

"BLAZIKEN!" May cried. "GLACEON!"

"BUNNELBY!" shouted Clemont. "ARE YOU GUYS ALL OKAY?!"

May's Venusaur and Blastoise tried to engage the Hive, but this action was interrupted by Alastair's Gengar, along with a Sawsbuck, who both shot various attacks at them. Venusaur and Blastoise managed to repel them, but this allowed the Hive to unleash more tentacles at the two of them; while Blastoise was able to avoid them, Venusaur wasn't so lucky, and her entire body was wrapped in them, rendering her immobile.

"VENUSAUR!" screamed May, watching as Gengar and Sawsbuck closed in to finish the Seed Pokémon off.

"I've got this, May!" Clemont said. "Chespin, use Pin Missile on those tentacles! Help out Venusaur!"

Chespin nodded and fired off green streams of light at Venusaur's direction. However, the Hive unleashed even more tentacles, which then combined and took the shape of a circular shield, which easily deflected the Pin Missile and protected Gengar and Sawsbuck. Clemont's eyes widened, and he growled angrily.

"It easily deflected the Pin Missile," he mumbled. "Not a single scratch anywhere... What is that thing supposed to be?!"

"I've got this!" May shouted. "Blastoise, use Rapid Spin! Get to Blastoise and free her!"

Blastoise immediately retracted its head, arms, legs, and cannons into its shell and began spinning like a disc. It then spun its body towards the Hive's makeshift shield protecting Venusaur, Gengar, and Sawsbuck. However, once it got close, the shield turned into a set of jaws, lined at each end with bladed teeth. The jaws opened wide, anticipating Blastoise's arrival. Realizing what it was about to do, May quickly switched tactics.

"Jump over it, Blastoise!" she commanded.

The Shellfish Pokémon launched its spinning form into the air, leaping directly over the set of jaws. But then, the jaws directed themselves upward, facing Blastoise, and prepared to spring at it...

"LUXRAY, USE WILD CHARGE!" cried Clemont.

Luxray charged forward, its body engulfed in yellow electricity, and it tackled the jaws with ease, causing them to lose its form and revert into its natural state of tiny, marble-like spheres. This allowed Blastoise to land back on the floor and spin towards Gengar and Sawsbuck. The two tried to retaliate with a Shadow Ball and an Energy Ball, but Blastoise outmaneuvered both attacks and hit the two Pokémon, knocking them backward.

Then, Blastoise collided with the tentacles wrapped around Venusaur's body, sawing them off and releasing the Seed Pokémon. When the tentacles tried to retaliate, Venusaur defended her friend with a flurry of Razor Leaves. Luxray and Chespin then charged forward, the former tackling half of the tentacles with another Wild Charge, the latter defeating the other half with a storm of Pin Missiles.

The Hive's command center, a sphere of silver, promptly released more tentacles, but some of them were already disintegrated by a Hyper Beam fired by Garchomp. The remaining tentacles then tried to attack the Mach Pokémon, but she promptly flew into the air to avoid the nonstop assaults.

"May!" Clemont called. "Defeating that thing is our main priority! It's become a real big problem!"

"You've got that right!" replied May. "We can't do anything to this guy's Pokémon without having to deal with this Hive thing first! We have to bring it down!"

Clemont pointed towards the Hive's command center. "Everything it's shooting at us seems to be coming from that single source! If we attack it, then we might have a chance at shutting that thing down before we can do anything else!"

"Agreed!" May glared at her Blaziken, who managed to stand up on her feet along with Bunnelby and Glaceon as they all repelled Klinklang, Accelgor, and Escavalier. "Blaziken, are you ready for at least one more round?!" The Blaze Pokémon nodded affirmatively with a snort. "Alright. Glaceon, Venusaur, Blastoise, you distract the other Pokémon! Blaziken is gonna handle this thing!"

Meanwhile, Clemont turned to Luxray. "What about you, Luxray?" he asked. "You up for the task too?" When Luxray nodded as well, Clemont turned to Chespin and Bunnelby. "Alright, you guys help May's other Pokémon! Got it? Luxray and I will help her and Blaziken destroy that thing!"

Chespin and Bunnelby both nodded before joining Glaceon, Venusaur, and Blastoise's sides. They all faced down Klinklang, Gengar, Accelgor, Escavalier, and Sawsbuck as they growled back at their opponents aggressively. Then, Klinklang charged forward, followed by the rest of its comrades, and Glaceon, Bunnelby, Chespin, Venusaur, and Blastoise all met the opposing force with their most powerful attacks.

"MAY!" Clemont cried as he stared down the Hive, which was unleashing even more tentacles. "We're gonna have to work together on this one."

"You got that right, Clemont!" replied May, her sapphire-blue eyes narrowing. "We'll have to settle this some other time!"

Clemont's own eyes narrowed as he realized what she was talking about. He still felt very determined to prove the Top Coordinator wrong in her misguided assumptions.

"Yeah, some other time..."

The tentacles all charged forward, aiming for Clemont...

"You get away from him right now!" May cried. "BLAZIKEN!"

Blaziken jumped up and repelled the tentacles with a Blaze Kick. As the tentacles recoiled, the Blaze Pokémon landed beside Luxray and snorted to it as a signal. Luxray, recognizing the message, snorted back, and both Pokémon stared down the Hive as it prepared to retaliate.

"GO TAKE IT DOWN!" Clemont and May both hollered at once. Luxray and Blaziken roared before charging towards the tentacles, the two of them being joined by a furious Garchomp.

As the three Pokémon engaged the Hive directly, Clemont focused his thoughts on Bonnie's well-being. The last he saw her, she was fleeing the laboratory to safety with Sophie, Cosette, and May's remaining two Pokémon. He hoped his younger sister was okay...

_"I didn't even get a chance to properly apologize to her for the horrible things I said..."_ he thought sadly.

* * *

**Bleu Plaza**

Bonnie held Sophie's hand and ran as fast as she could down the sidewalk. Running in front of both of them was Cosette, behind them was May's Delcatty, and May's Beautifly was flying directly above the group. They tried to seek shelter in one store after another, but every door they came across was locked, with the security gates also drawn in front of said doors along with all of the windows.

In essence, they (and anyone else unfortunate enough to still be outside) were locked out.

Cosette approached another door and tried to open it, only to be met with the same results.

"It's locked too, Sophie!" she cried.

"So where are we gonna hide?" asked Bonnie. "My daddy's place is locked, every store here is locked... What're we gonna do?!"

"Well," Sophie replied, "we can always try my house-"

"Then what're we waiting for! Let's go there!"

"Dedenne!" chirped Dedenne, nodding its head in agreement.

"But Bonnie," said Sophie, "it's on the other side of the city. It's gonna be quite a walk, and who knows what kinds of stuff we'll come across along the way?" She then looked up. "We don't know how long your brother and May can hold up against Alastair, his Pokémon, and that thing he has-"

"Clemont and May are both strong Trainers!" Bonnie shouted. "I know that! They can beat that guy real good!"

"Can they now?" a familiar voice asked.

Bonnie, Sophie, and Cosette gasped and looked up. Standing atop of a small, one-person hovermobile resembling a scooter was Alastair, the lenses of his glasses glinting brightly with the sunlight. His lips curled into a sinister sneer as a Shedinja flew beside him, snarling menacingly.

"I've thoroughly enjoyed our little game of tag," he said, "but unfortunately, I must capture you all, with no exceptions."

"Not if we can help it!" Sophie shouted. Delcatty and Beautifly cried out angrily in agreement.

"How cute. Shedinja, use Shadow Sneak."

Buzzing menacingly, Shedinja settled its body down to the concrete sidewalk, casting a shadow. The shadow then shot forward until it was stretching behind Delcatty. The shadow then raised a tendril out of the ground, which struck Delcatty before it could react.

Bonnie gasped loudly in concern and caught the flying Delcatty in her arms, while Beautifly flew forward and fired a Silver Wind attack at Shedinja. The Shed Pokémon tried to outmaneuver the attack, but its heavy body prevented it from doing so. Within a matter of mere seconds, the Silver Wind blew it across the sidewalk at Alastair's feet, bombarded by endless scales. However, the Syndicate lieutenant merely and calmly smiled at Beautifly, clearly impressed by its efficiency.

"You are a very lovely Beautifly," he remarked. "Clearly powerful with the Silver Wind attack too. You've been trained well, obviously." He pulled out a strange device that resembled a Poké Ball and expanded its size. "You'll do wonders for the ranks of the Syndicate's Pokémon."

Shedinja then recovered and fired a Will-O-Wisp at Beautifly, hitting it before it could react.

"OH NO, BEAUTIFLY!" cried Bonnie. "Beautifly, hang in there!"

"DEDENNE!" Dedenne squeaked in horror.

Alastair snickered and said, "Ah, don't you worry, Beautifly. I'll make sure the Syndicate will gift you with the best accommodations we have to offer..."

He prepared to throw the device at Beautifly as it tried to shake off the flames coating its body...

"GO MASQUERAIN, USE SILVER WIND!" a male voice hollered.

Another Silver Wind began blowing against Alastair, forcing him to shield his head from the scales. Shedinja tried to fire a Shadow Ball at the unseen attacker...

"Emboar, use Flamethrower on that Shedinja!" a female voice shouted. Seconds later, Shedinja was easily felled by a stream of flames that scorched its entire body.

"SHEDINJA!" shouted Alastair. Growling, he raised his arm holding the unknown device. "Oh, I'm gonna capture one of ya bastards! You messed with the wrong guy-"

"You said a bad word!" Bonnie interrupted. "That's bad!"

"Dedenne!" added Dedenne.

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"

"Garchomp, use Dragon Claw!" another female voice ordered.

A Garchomp appeared, and before Alastair had the time to react, it slashed his hovermobile with a glowing claw. Seconds later, its engine exploded, knocking Alastair off his aerial vehicle and down on the concrete sidewalk. Looking up at the Garchomp, he tried to throw the device, only to realize that he had dropped it. Spotting it a few feet away, he scrambled desperately towards it, but someone else picked it up, to his distress. Looking up in shock, he was greeted by a green-haired teenage boy.

"Well, well," the boy said tauntingly, flicking his hair with an air of arrogance. "Looking for this?"

Alastair's eyes widened, and he issued an enraged growl. Things were not going exactly as he had planned...

* * *

**Sycamore Laboratories  
****Southern Lumiose City**

After knocking Luxray, Blaziken, and Garchomp away for the umpteenth time, the Hive immediately and abruptly halted its assault. Clemont and May both blinked in confusion, for the substance had literally paused in midair. Then, before they could seize the opportunity to initiate a direct attack on the Hive's command center, the mercury-like being retracted all of its tentacles and began rolling its spherical body out of the laboratory, being joined by Alastair's Pokémon.

"What?!" exclaimed May.

"Wh-Where's it going?" Clemont asked, adjusting his glasses. "It can't just _leave_ like that!"

"It doesn't matter! We have to go after it now!"

As if it heard May's declaration, Klinklang turned around and fired a Mirror Shot into the ceiling above them. Clemont, May, and their Pokémon screamed and leaped out of the way as gigantic chunks of debris fell down toward the main lobby...

* * *

**Blue Plaza  
****A few minutes later**

Drew smirked and dusted his hands in satisfaction, stepping back alongside Lucas. The two teenagers, plus Bonnie, Dedenne, Sophie, Cosette, Miette, Barry, Kenny, Ursula, and Bianca, looked upon Alastair, who was tied up by a String Shot, courtesy of Lucas's Ariados. Alastair tried to struggle against his restraints, but his efforts proved to be useless when the sticky substance refused to break.

"Release me this instant!" growled Alastair. "Do you know who you're _dealing_ with?!"

"Mm-hm! A meanie, that's what!" Bonnie exclaimed angrily. "Professor Sycamore is not gonna be happy with you when he finds out you messed up his place!"

"Dede!"

"I believe that was the point of my whole visit..." deadpanned the Syndicate lieutenant.

"Struggle all you want," Drew said triumphantly, "but I'm afraid it's curtains for you."

"Yeah!" Barry added. "Now you've got a really big fine to pay, mister!"

"Now," said Kenny, "why don't you tell your people in that ship in the sky to surrender?"

"And if I don't?" Alastair snarled.

Ursula promptly snapped her fingers. "Garchomp!" she said.

The Mach Pokémon stepped forward and raised one of her arms as her claw began to glow. However, Alastair's frown turned into a maniacal grin.

"Do you think your petty little deceptions are going to work on me?" he asked. He then began laughing. "For Arceus's sake, you're all mere CHILDREN! None of you have the guts to threaten your elder in such a way!"

"Maybe they don't," Sophie spat. She then stepped forward and kicked Alastair in the crotch, shocking everyone else. "But _I_ do."

"GAH!" Alastair fell over on his side, breaking the right side of his lens in the process. He tried desperately to clutch his injured crotch with his hands, but they were tightly restrained by the String Shot. "OH, WHAT THE HELL?! WHY DID YOU KICK ME THERE?! ARCEUS, SOPHIE!"

"That's for what you did to the lab! For what you tried to do to Augustine's work!"

Alastair sneered. "Ah, you're referring to the Professor by his first name, eh? What's with the lack of formalities, my dear Sophie?..."

Sophie blushed in embarrassment and prepared to retort. However, she was cut off by a mercury-like tentacle, which wrapped itself around her.

"Sophie!" Cosette cried, just before she too was wrapped up in a tentacle, followed by Drew, Lucas, Miette, Barry, Kenny, Ursula, Bianca, and the Pokémon they had out. Meanwhile, another tentacle approached Alastair's fallen form, turned into a circular saw, and used it to tear off the webbing restraining the Syndicate lieutenant.

"OH, NO!" screamed Bonnie.

"DEDENNE!" Dedenne chirped.

The seven-year-old girl stepped back cautiously, watching as another tentacle set its sights on her. She whimpered fearfully as it prepared to charge towards her.

"RUN, BONNIE!" Sophie and Cosette both shrieked.

Bonnie immediately turned around and began sprinting out of the plaza. She could hear Alastair saying calmly, "Get her, Hive."

"NO, NO, NO, NO, **NO**!" the little girl screamed. "HELP ME! **HELP ME!**"

Bonnie ran as fast as she could, refusing to look back, while Dedenne took cover inside its owner's satchel. She could only hear the squirming of tentacles behind her, and as the noise grew louder, the amount of tears flowing from her eyes increased. She quickly began to cry as she directed herself towards the Prism Tower, hoping someone there would see her predicament and come to her rescue. Then, as she came to that strategy, Bonnie's mind raced with one single thought.

_"Clemont was right... This _is _too dangerous..."_

**"HELP ME!"** she hollered.

A Flamethrower suddenly shot itself above her, incinerating the incoming tentacles. Bonnie finally stopped running and looked behind her, being greeted with the sight of marble-like spheres scattered across the sidewalk and street. She then looked further down the street and saw more tentacles headed towards her...

Two figures landed between her and the incoming tentacles. Bonnie's eyes widened; she recognized them as Blaziken Mask and his Mega Blaziken.

"BLAZIKEN, USE FLAMETHROWER AGAIN!" Blaziken Mask commanded.

The Mega-Evolved Blaze Pokémon roared loudly before firing another stream of fire from its mouth, repelling the tentacles. Three of them merged into one and turned into what resembled a gigantic sledgehammer, which swung itself towards its new assailants. However, Blaziken Mask quickly grabbed Bonnie and jumped away with Mega Blaziken, barely avoiding the attack. The two landed on a rooftop, and Blaziken Mask used this opportunity to give Bonnie a set of keys.

"Take these, Bonnie," he said. "These open up my- I mean, your dad's storage shed. Take cover there."

Bonnie looked at her savior in wonder. "You know my daddy?" she asked.

"Yes, I met him a couple of times." Blaziken Mask set down the little girl and ushered her towards a fire escape. "Take that. Once you get to the sidewalk, I want you to run as fast as you can to Magenta Plaza. Don't you even look back. You've been to the shed before, so you should know where it is once you get there."

"What about you?!"

"I'll hold off that thing for as long as I can. But I'm telling you, Bonnie, don't _ever_ look back." When he noticed her shimmering eyes, he quickly added, "I'll be fine!"

"Okay. Thanks, Mr. Blaziken Mask..."

"Don't thank me." Without having to look, Blaziken Mask quickly dodged a tentacle, which was then broken apart by Mega Blaziken's Blaze Kick. "Now go, Bonnie! GO!"

Bonnie nodded and began rushing down the fire escape.

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters  
In the skies of Lumiose City**

Serena closed her eyes in shame as she watched another group being brought in: Lisia, Wallace, Sabrina (who was wearing a strange helmet and gloves for some reason), Rudy, Whitney, Tate and Liza, Gardenia, Elesa, and Korrina. However, she knew there were supposed to be two additional people with that group, but given their absences...

"Where's Winona and Wattson?" asked Norman, but his expression indicated he already knew the answer.

"They joined up with those bastards," Gardenia spat in response as a Team Magma grunt escorted her into a cell containing Anabel and Palmer. "I can't believe it! Those two actually _accepted_ the kid's offer to join that organization! Along with those two other kids!"

"What two other kids?" asked Dawn.

"There were these two Trainers from Johto who tagged along with us, Dawn. Lyra and Khoury, they said the names were. They joined the Syndicate too-"

"NO!" Dawn shot up from the ground and clutched the bars of her cell. "NO, NOT LYRA AND KHOURY! THEY COULDN'T HAVE!"

"I'm afraid they did, Dawn. I'm afraid they did..."

"I can't believe it..." Norman moaned, placing a hand on his forehead in disbelief. "Winona...and Wattson too... I can't believe they'd betray us like that..."

Wallace's face became even more crestfallen upon hearing Norman's words, while he and Lisia were forced into a cell of their own by two Team Galactic grunts.

As for Whitney, she noticed something as she scanned the captives. "Wait a minute..." she said. "Weren't there more of us?"

"Winona, Wattson, and those two Trainers weren't the only ones who joined the Syndicate, Whitney," replied Morty.

"Really?!" Korrina cried. "Who else accepted that stupid offer?!"

"Koga, Janine, Blaine, Agatha, Falkner, Bugsy, Chuck, Pryce, Will, Bruno, and Karen," Lance replied.

"Flannery, Sidney, Phoebe, Glacia, and Drake," said Norman in defeat.

"Roark, Maylene, Crasher Wake, Fantina, Byron," Volkner said.

"Roxie, Burgh, Clay, Brycen, Marlon, Grimsley, Shauntal, Marshal," Alder added, shaking his head.

"Siebold, Wikstrom, Drasna," Diantha said.

"Spenser, Noland, Tucker, Greta, Lucy," Anabel explained.

"Thorton, Dahlia, Argenta," continued Palmer. "Oh, and Courtney and those Battle Maison sisters!"

"That's just the beginning of the list," Misty said sadly.

"Everyone you're seeing right now," Cynthia said, "we're all those who refused to join. This is all who's left..."

"What about Steven?" asked Tate, referring to the Hoenn Champion. "And Hilbert and Hilda?"

"They're not with you?" added Korrina.

"No," Alder replied. "Those three managed to escape."

"Steven bailed out on us?!" exclaimed Liza.

"No. They got separated from my group by an explosion, but last I heard, they were still battling those Syndicate punks. Since they obviously haven't been brought up here yet, my guess is that Steven's somehow still holding up on his own, likely with the support of Hilbert and Hilda."

Upon being reminded of that, Serena peered through the bars of her cell, staring at the main doorway in concern.

_"Hilbert,"_ she thought. _"Be safe..."_

* * *

**The Prism Tower  
Lumiose City**

_"Serena... Be safe..."_

"HILBERT! LOOK OUT!"

Being pulled back into reality, Hilbert gasped upon hearing Hilda's voice, feeling the rapidly rising heat on his face. Without a second thought, he rolled out of the way, barely avoiding a Flame Charge attack. The president looked up and saw the Fire-type Pokémon barreling straight back at him...

"TEPIG!" he cried.

Tepig immediately jumped in the way and fired an Ember attack at the incoming Pokémon. However, the embers merely bounced off the Pokémon's fiery hide, crumbling into ashes. The Flame Charge continued to approach...

"HILBERT!" screamed Hilda. "TEPIG!"

"Metagross, use Protect!" Steven shouted.

The Mega-Evolved Shiny Metagross quickly stood between Tepig and the incoming Flame Charge. It raised its arms and formed a turquoise force-field in front of its body, protecting it from the Flame Charge and causing the Fire-type attack to bounce back. The flames quickly died, and the Pokémon landed a few yards away from Steven's Metagross. Hilbert couldn't help but feel impressed at the power demonstrated by the Emboar that had been menacing them for an hour now.

"Enough games!" shouted the Team Magma grunt commanding the Emboar. "Emboar, use Flamethrower! End this Metagross!"

"Use Dark Pulse, Umbreon!" ordered a Team Plasma grunt.

Emboar and Umbreon stepped forward and fired their respective attacks.

"Use Protect again, Metagross!" Steven commanded. As Metagross successfully used the move to defend itself and Tepig, the Champion turned to Hilbert. "Do you have any other Pokémon to use, Hilbert?!"

"Tepig's all I got!" exclaimed Hilbert.

"What about you, Hilda? Do you have any Pokémon we could use?"

Hilda's eyes widened in terror. "I have Snivy and Oshawott, but they're the BW Agency mascots! They haven't had a real battle in their lives!"

"Oshawott's all we need if we're gonna beat that Emboar. It's obviously the muscle of the opposing team, and once we defeat it, we can easily take out Umbreon."

"But-But I can't do that to Oshawott! Don't you have other Pokémon, Steven?"

"They're all Steel-type Pokémon; they'll easily fall to Emboar! Metagross is the best I've got, but he won't be able to hold out for so long!"

"But-" began Hilda.

"Hilda, just listen to him!" Hilbert shouted. "Everyone else might be in trouble and we may be their only hope!"

"But...But Hilbert, you're saying I should have Oshawott actually _battle_?! What would the board think of this?!"

"SCREW WHAT THE BOARD THINKS, HILDA! LIVES ARE AT **STAKE** RIGHT NOW! JUST DO IT!" Then, he added, "What would _Ash_ do in this situation?!"

"Oh, I shouldn't have decided to come along and get myself involved in this mess!" exclaimed Hilda as she clumsily pulled a Poké Ball out of her pocket and threw it into the air. "Come on out, Oshawott! Use Water Gun!"

There was a flash of light, but instead of the Sea Otter Pokémon like the trio was expecting, it was instead...

"Sn-_Snivy_?" stuttered Hilda, while Hilbert, Tepig, Steven, and Metagross fell to the floor anime-style, all of them realizing she picked the wrong Poké Ball.

"Snivy!" the Grass Snake Pokémon chirped, smiling and crossing its arms proudly.

The Team Magma and Team Plasma grunts looked at Snivy, initially surprised by the unexpected arrival. Then, they burst out laughing, while Emboar snorted mockingly and Umbreon hissed at Snivy jeeringly. Shocked to hear this reaction, Snivy growled and unleashed its vines, using them to slap both Emboar and Umbreon. Stunned momentarily, Umbreon then hissed angrily and fired a large Shadow Ball at Snivy's direction.

"SNIVY!" Hilda cried. "WATCH OUT!"

"TEPIG!" squealed Tepig in concern.

However, Snivy confidently hopped out of the way of the Shadow Ball. Then, it jumped into the air and multiple glowing green leaves began to spin around its body. As soon as it accumulated enough leaves, the Grass Snake Pokémon then fired them all towards Umbreon.

"That was Snivy's Leaf Storm!" Hilbert cried in awe.

"Dodge them, Umbreon!" shouted the Team Plasma grunt angrily.

However, it was too late: the Leaf Storm hit Umbreon, sending it flying over its Trainer's shoulder and into a wall, rendering it unconscious. Upon hearing the Moonlight Pokémon groan weakly, Snivy harrumphed and crossed its arms, striking another proud pose. However, in its pride, it forgot about...

"EMBOAR!" roared the Team Magma grunt. "FINISH THAT LITTLE SNIVY WITH A FLAMETHROWER!"

"METAGROSS, USE FLASH CANNON!" shouted Steven.

Metagross fired a white beam of energy towards Emboar, hitting it with full force before it could fire the Flamethrower and sending it flying into the same wall. However, Emboar climbed out of the wreckage, barely holding a scratch, and snorted out flames aggressively at Metagross.

"Stupid Metagross!" snarled the Team Magma grunt, baring his teeth. "Emboar, finish it first with a little Flame Charge! _Then_ we'll deal with that puny Snivy!"

Emboar charged towards the Iron Leg Pokémon, its body engulfed in flames. Steven's eyes widened as it barreled towards Metagross at high speeds.

"METAGROSS, USE PROTECT!" the Hoenn Champion commanded.

Metagross set up another turquoise force-field in front of its body. However, the Team Magma grunt smiled deviously.

"Oh, I was counting on that," he said.

Steven gasped as he watched Emboar maneuver its way around Metagross and strike it from behind, where it was unprotected by the Protect. Metagross roared in pain as it fell over, critically wounded; Emboar's Flame Charge dissipated as it landed back down on the floor, looking triumphant. The Mega Fire Pig Pokémon approached Metagross's fallen form, gurgling in pleasure and snorting out flames from its nostrils while the Iron Leg Pokémon merely looked up angrily, unable to do anything else.

"See," continued the Team Magma grunt, "your Metagross's Protect could only cover it at the front, but never at the back. That makes it a weak spot, something you apparently never bothered to remedy." He patted his temple with his index finger. "Pretty stupid move for a Hoenn Champion, I gotta say."

Steven growled and gritted his teeth, drawing a satisfied snicker from the grunt.

"But of course," he continued, "even a Pokémon Champion cannot withstand the might of Carter, the greatest Fire-type specialist in the world!"

The Team Plasma grunt rolled his eyes as he tended to his Umbreon. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, man," he said. "Now, can we just capture these meddlers? Headquarters is expecting us back, and we'll get a big bonus if we deliver captives to them." He glared at Hilbert and Hilda. "The BW Agency Presidents in particular will be a great source of income for us..."

"Yes, yes, of course," Carter replied. Then, he cleared his throat and began, "Emboar, finish off Metagross with-"

Snivy suddenly interrupted the proceedings by slapping Emboar in the face with its Vine Whip. Obviously, it didn't seem to be aware of the severity of the situation, as Emboar let out an annoyed growl while it merely struck another proud pose.

"Ah, so this Snivy thinks it's funny, eh?" snarled Carter. "Well then, let's show it some real humor! Emboar, use Flamethrower!"

The Mega Fire Pig Pokémon roared, then took in a deep breath and released a stream of flames from its nostrils.

"SNIVY, NO!" screamed Hilbert and Hilda at once.

"TE-**PIG**!"

Tepig launched towards Snivy, knocking it out of the way before firing a stream of flames from its own nostrils. They met Emboar's Flamethrower and triggered a small explosion, filling the room with a billowing cloud of smoke.

"Did...Did Tepig just use _Flamethrower_?!" Hilda exclaimed as she covered her nose.

However, Hilbert just stared at Tepig in awe. "Tepig..." he said. "You...You learned _Flamethrower_..."

"Snivy..." Snivy said quietly, impressed by its colleague's demonstration of power.

"Tepig!" replied the jubilant Fire Pig Pokémon as it pranced around. "Tepig tepig!"

"Awwwww, isn't that cute!" exclaimed Carter, swooning mockingly. Then, he pointed towards Tepig. "Emboar, Flame Charge!"

Emboar roared and charged forward. Within seconds, Tepig was sent flying into a wall, crying out in pain as it did so. Hilbert and Hilda both gasped and ran up to it.

"Tepig!" Hilbert shouted. "Tepig, are you okay?!"

"Tepig..." moaned the Fire Pig Pokémon weakly.

Meanwhile, Carter was cackling. "Did you really think a mere new move is enough to intimidate me and Emboar?!" he asked. "It's basic elementary for Tepig to know Flamethrower from the start!" Then, he stopped laughing, a twinkle coming over his eye. "But then again, it's a BW Agency mascot. Of course it's gotta be weak! All it can ever do is dance around and fire attacks just for show!"

"DON'T CALL TEPIG WEAK!" Hilbert roared, facing the Team Magma grunt; Hilda looked equally disgusted at the insult. "HE IS **NOT** WEAK! HE'S STRONG!"

"Yeah, right." Carter snapped his fingers. "Emboar, let's show this kid an example of true strength..."

Emboar prepared to fire another Flamethrower at Hilbert when another voice permeated the air.

"CHARIZARD, USE BLAST BURN!"

A sudden fiery explosion rocked the entire floor, knocking Carter, Emboar, and the Team Plasma grunt backward. Steven, Metagross, Hilbert, and Tepig all flinched, while Hilda abruptly latched herself onto Hilbert for safety. Once the explosion stopped and the smoke cleared, everyone looked up to see a Trainer walking towards them calmly. He had long, thick black hair and wore all-black clothing, save for a light-blue, thick scarf. Upon registering the shady aura surrounding this new Trainer, Hilbert couldn't help but feel he had seen that person before somewhere...

However, Steven's lips curled into a relieved smile.

"Good to see you again, Alain," the Hoenn Champion greeted.

Alain only responded with a nod as his Mega-Evolved Charizard stepped through the smoke. Hilbert and Hilda's eyes widened at the strange appearance of the Flame Pokémon, but before they could comment on it, they were interrupted by a savage growl.

"You think you can mess with me and get away with it?..." Carter snarled as he and Emboar stood up. "Emboar, use Flamethrower!"

The Mega Fire Pig Pokémon fired the attack and hit Alain's Charizard before it could react. To Alain's surprise, the attack was powerful enough to send Charizard crashing through the wall, creating a gaping hole and half-burying it in the wreckage.

"CHARIZARD!" he shouted as the Flame Pokémon struggled to get up.

"How amusing," remarked Carter, smirking. "Emboar, finish it off with-"

"Te..._pig_..."

Hilbert and Hilda looked down, feeling a rising heat emanating from near them, and their eyes widened.

Tepig was standing up, clearly unhindered by its injuries, its whole outline engulfed in a bright, crimson aura of fire. With a rising growl, the Fire Pig Pokémon charged towards its highest evolved form, all the while snorting out flames. Before anyone knew it, flames completely engulfed its body, but it didn't seem to notice. With a newfound burst of energy, Tepig jumped towards Emboar's head and smashed into it, knocking the Mega Fire Pig Pokémon backward with a pained roar.

"EMBOAR!" Carter roared loudly in outrage.

"What was _that_?!" Hilda cried, looking at the glowing Tepig in shock.

"That was Tepig's Blaze Ability!" replied Steven, his eyes wide in wonder.

"Blaze Ability?" repeated Hilbert.

"An Ability that activates when a Fire-type Pokémon is critically wounded. Once it's activated, the power of the Pokémon holding it increases!"

"Blaze..." Hilbert looked back at Tepig, his lips breaking into a smile. "Way to go, Tepig! You know Blaze! And best of all, you mastered Flame Charge! You actually did it, Tepig!"

"TE-**PIG**!" Tepig replied, snorting out flames in triumph.

"THAT'S **ENOUGH**!" Carter hollered, as Emboar stood up. "EMBOAR, USE FLAME CHARGE ON THIS PUNY LITTLE TEPIG!"

Emboar roared furiously and charged towards Tepig again, its body engulfed in flames.

"TEPIG, USE FLAME CHARGE TOO!" commanded Hilbert.

Tepig activated the move as well and headed towards Emboar. Both Flame Charges collided, triggering a massive explosion that nearly knocked everyone back, but both Hilbert and Carter stood their ground as best as they could.

"EMBOAR, USE FLAMETHROWER!" shouted Carter.

"TEPIG, DODGE IT AND ATTACK EMBOAR FROM BEHIND WITH EMBER!" Hilbert cried.

Emboar fired the stream of flames at Tepig, but the Fire Pig Pokémon obeyed its owner's orders and maneuvered its way past the Flamethrower. Then, it leaped over Emboar, still energized by its Blaze, and fired a barrage of Embers at its back, successfully landing a hit for each one and drawing out a cry from the critically wounded Mega Fire Pig Pokémon.

"NOW USE FLAME CHARGE!" continued Hilbert.

Upon landing back down on the floor, Tepig charged towards the reeling Emboar again and hit it, sending it down to its knees.

"THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE, EMBOAR!" Carter snarled. "FINISH IT OFF WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!"

"NOT SO FAST! TEPIG, USE FLAMETHROWER!"

Tepig fired the Flamethrower, just as Emboar retaliated with its own. The two attacks met, but Tepig's was stronger; it overwhelmed Emboar's Flamethrower and hit it squarely in the face. The Mega Fire Pig Pokémon roared in pain as it recoiled, trying to brush the flames off its face.

"NO, EMBOAR!" screamed Carter.

Hilbert grinned proudly. "Alright now, Tepig!" he shouted. "Finish it off with Flame Charge!"

Tepig nodded and smashed its fiery body into Emboar, knocking its whole body down to the ground. Carter's eyes widened in terror.

"NO, NO, **NO**! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING! EMBOAR, DON'T YOU FAIL ON ME NOW! GET UP!"

However, Emboar wouldn't get up, having suffered too much damage to continue. Realizing it was over, he tried to flee, but Alain's Charizard burst through the wreckage burying it at last and stood in Carter's way, preventing him from escaping. The Team Magma grunt tried to go the opposite way, but Steven's Metagross, having finally recovered from its injuries, blocked him off as well. Both Pokémon growled menacingly at him, causing Carter to flinch out of pure cowardice.

Meanwhile, Hilbert examined Emboar's fallen body as the Mega Fire Pig Pokémon lost consciousness.

"We did it..." he said, his voice hoarse. "We... We _did_ it..." His face broke into an overjoyed expression. "Tepig! Tepig, we did it!"

"TEPIG!" Tepig replied, snorting out small flames at Emboar in triumph.

As for Hilda, she was just as shocked at the turn of events. "Hilbert and Tepig beat that guy..." she whispered to herself. "They actually did..."

"Snivy..." Snivy added, also surprised.

"Tepig!" called Hilbert. "I'm..." His brown eyes began to shimmer with tears. "I'm so _proud_ of you!"

"Tepig!" Tepig cried happily, its tail wagging in excitement as its glow subsided. "Tepig tepig! TEPIG!" In its joy, the Fire Pig Pokémon jumped into Hilbert's outstretched arms and nuzzled its head against his chest lovingly as the president laughed happily. "TEPIG!"

"You did it, Tepig!" Hilbert said through his flowing tears. "You did it! This...This makes us one step closer to our dream!"

"TE-PIG!"

Upon hearing this latest exchange, Hilda stood up and approached Hilbert.

"Wait a minute, our dream?" she asked. "_Our_ dream? Hilbert, wh-what exactly are you talking about?..."

Hilbert turned towards Hilda and looked at her apprehensively. Then, he looked down at Tepig, who was looking back at him with a look of determination. Recognizing the expression, and remembering all of Ash and Serena's words of advice and encouragement, Hilbert nodded and looked back up at Hilda. He knew there was no going back now, but the president couldn't have it any other way.

"Hilda," he said determinedly, "I know you're not gonna be pleased to hear this, and I know you're gonna go into some wild ramble about what the board of directors is gonna think about what I have to say. But I just want you to know that I've been considering this for a long time now, and that Tepig and I share this dream. We mean no disrespect to the BW Agency, but we have felt this mutual spark and we can no longer just let it be a spark. After all, it's not just a spark, it's a dream."

"Yeah, yeah," replied Hilda, crossing her arms. "You said that already. Just..." She hesitated briefly. "Just cut to the chase, will you?"

"See, Hilda...I want to become a Pokémon Trainer."

* * *

Brock and Leaf stared upon the unconscious bodies of Jupiter and the grunts, all tied up in a bundle with their own technology, courtesy of Leaf's strange Unown. Brock continued to stare in wonder at the Symbol Pokémon, the very Pokémon he summoned from the Poké Ball provided to him by Leaf. Unlike all of the other Unown he met in his life, this one had appendages arranged in an extremely unique way, so that it resembled a pi symbol. He never knew an Unown like that existed...

"Well, mission accomplished!" exclaimed Leaf optimistically, dusting her hands as if she handled something extremely dirty. "That was honestly easier than I thought!"

"You tell me," Brock replied, remembering how extremely powerful that Unown was when engaging the Syndicate forces. He looked at the girl with a puzzled stare. "Since when did you get this Unown? That form isn't recorded in any of the Pokédexes in the world!"

Leaf shrugged. "Oh, I just randomly came across it in the forest one day and decided to capture it."

"And you didn't bother to tell people about this? Such a discovery could've made you famous!"

"Well, maybe I'm camera-shy. Now, come on, Brocky! Let's keep beating up bad guys!"

The girl skipped away, leaving behind a confused Brock.

_"Br-_Brocky_?..."_ he thought, scratching his head. _"Is it just me, or is a screw in her head loose?"_

* * *

**Near the Syndicate Headquarters  
In the skies of Lumiose City**

Mewtwo stopped in midair as soon as the Syndicate Headquarters came into her sights. She reverted back to her original form and narrowed her eyes at the sight of the gigantic airship. Judging from its size alone, she knew that its occupant or occupants were ready for a full-scale invasion of the human city below.

_**"I must stop these evil humans at once,"**_ she thought. _**"Before they can hurt anyone."**_

She prepared to fire an Aura Sphere when she felt a dark, unsettling presence. She stared across her shoulder, just in time to see a Shadow Ball hurtling towards her. The Genetic Pokémon quickly dodged the attack and, with a grunt, fired her Aura Sphere at the direction from which the Shadow Ball came. However, the sphere merely continued to speed through empty air before running out of energy and exploding in midair. Gasping, Mewtwo looked around in search of her attacker, but couldn't find him or her anywhere.

Then, she realized she hadn't looked up yet. So she did, and she found it: the being that attacked her at the docks in that faraway city.

And it was charging towards her at high speeds.

**"Oh, no you don't!"** Mewtwo snarled as she dodged her attacker.

While its back was still on her, the Genetic Pokémon fired another Aura Sphere down at it, but the mysterious being managed to dodge the attack. Before she knew it, she found herself facing another Shadow Ball headed towards her. This time, she was unable to dodge it, and she was nearly knocked out of the sky by it. However, she managed to recover quickly and faced her attacker with narrowed eyes. They narrowed even further when she realized it was actually _gesturing_ her to come to it.

_**"The nerve of that being to mock me like that! How dare it!"**_

**"So, you wish for a fair fight, huh?"** she asked, her voice laced with a tone of fury. **"Well then, if you desire a fair fight, then I shall give you a fair fight."** She turned into her Mega Evolved form and felt a new energy flow through her body. **"Shall we?"**

She then raced towards her opponent at lightning-fast speeds, while the mysterious being did the same. They collided at a high force, triggering a massive shock-wave powerful enough to destroy hundreds of windows in the city below.

* * *

**Inside the Syndicate Headquarters**

"Benefactor, sir!" Brodie cried as he rushed into his superior's private study.

"Problems, I am assuming, Brodie?" asked the Benefactor. The Syndicate leader was still observing Ash's movements on the massive screen.

"Unfortunately, yes sir. Saturn just called back with an update. He's saying someone incapacitated his team and destroyed all of the hacking tech."

However, the Benefactor remained calm. "I thought most of the resistance is enjoying our hospitality in some way while the remainder was still engaged in battle with our forces?" Then, he tapped his armrest, the sound echoing through the chamber-like room. "The entire team was incapacitated, you say?"

"Yes, including Jupiter. Whoever took care of them was obviously good."

"Yet Saturn was not with them when the attack happened?"

Brodie blinked. "He said he was out on patrol."

"And yet...he couldn't apprehend this intruder, this meddler, before he or she did this monstrosity?"

"Apparently so, sir." The lieutenant's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Should I bring him to you, sir?"

"No. That will have to wait. Too much time and energy was wasted into this operation, and the last thing I want to do is to waste more time and energy in disciplining Saturn in the most appropriate way possible." The Benefactor tapped his armrest again. "Time to initiate Plan B."

"Pl-Plan B?" asked Brodie in a surprised tone. "Are-Are you sure that's a wise decision, Benefactor sir?"

"Brodie, the Kalos government has just dispatched more fighter jets to our position, and all of the hacking tech we have is now either inoperable or out of our current reach. Besides-" The Benefactor grinned and clasped his hands together. "-on second thought, attacking Lumiose City while it's at its weakest _does_ sound a bit cowardly. We have to give the world a cinematic spectacle like no other as we're conquering it, am I right?" He pursed his lips. "Contact Team Sigma. Tell them to execute Order 66."

Brodie tilted his head in confusion. "Don't you mean Order 67?"

The Benefactor blinked. "Yes, yes, Order 67. Do it."

"On it, sir!"

However, before Brodie could leave, the Benefactor said sternly, "Wait, Brodie."

"Yes, sir?"

"Charon sent me his report regarding Ketchum's Aura. Tell Orlando it's time to execute the ARCANE Project."

"The ARCANE Project? Are you sure the tech is ready? It just got finished."

"Do you doubt my timing, Brodie?"

"...No, sir."

"Then do it."

"Yes, sir. On it, sir."

The Syndicate lieutenant left the room, leaving the Benefactor alone with his musings. His lips curved into a sneer as he watched Ash standing inside an active elevator.

"Soon..." he hissed. "Very soon... We will have the necessary power to subdue..._Him_..."

* * *

Serena reluctantly turned her gaze up at two people who were among those assigned to guard the cells. She recognized them as the Trainers she and Hilbert met at the battlefield, the ones who mistook them for a loving couple: Lyra and Khoury. She then looked at Dawn, who was in the cell at her right; the blue-haired Coordinator was staring daggers at the two of them. Lyra was staring back sadly, while Khoury was averting his gaze.

Silence had fallen upon the prison, save for the echoing of footsteps. Then, Dawn broke the silence.

"Traitor."

Lyra closed her eyes sadly. "I'm sorry, Dawn," she replied.

"How could you _join_ those guys? Do you know what they're trying to do?! They're gonna try and conquer the world! And you're gonna just _let_ them?"

"They have all this manpower and firepower, Dawn! And you thought we could all _beat_ them?! This isn't Team Rocket we're talking about! I'm sorry, Dawn, I really am. But if we're gonna have a chance at survival, then we're gonna take it!"

"And you think you'll survive while under the arm of the Syndicate?" asked Cynthia, her eyes narrowed. "They're nothing more than maniacs who will probably destroy the world without a second thought."

"Look!" exclaimed Khoury suddenly. "Maybe you guys want to keep fighting, but Lyra and I can't! So do all the Gym Leaders who joined the Syndicate with us! There's no point in fighting a losing battle." He averted his gaze again. "Like the saying goes, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

"Ash would be _very_ disappointed in you," Dawn spat.

The boy looked at the Coordinator. "Speaking of which, where _is_ Ash, Dawn?! Hm?! Where _is_ he?!" He scanned all of the cells in the chamber. "I don't see him sitting in any of the cells with you guys! You know, I bet he got himself killed while trying to resist the Syndicate! Isn't that right? That'd be so Ash! He'd never stop fighting for what's right, no matter what! But I guess that actually got him killed this time around!" Khoury's eyes began to shimmer with tears. "If that is true, then what hope is there in beating the Syndicate? Hm? Tell me, Dawn!"

Dawn didn't respond, prompting Khoury to spring forward and grab the bars of her cell, boring holes into her blue eyes with his own.

"TELL ME, DAWN!" he screamed.

"Ash is alive," a voice interrupted. Everyone stared at Anabel, whose eyes were closed. "I can sense his heart. He's in great distress, but he's still fighting." She opened her eyes. "He hasn't stopped fighting, and he hasn't stopped looking for all of us. There is still hope, you two."

"But how long will he last?" asked Lyra glumly. "That's the real question."

"Ash has faced bigger problems than this," Misty replied angrily. "He's saved the world many times over. He's even had a previous run-in with this very airship and came out bruised and beaten, but alive." She narrowed her ocean-blue eyes. "He will stop this threat too."

"YEAH!" chorused all of the other prisoners.

However, Lyra and Khoury still looked crestfallen.

"Are you sure about that?" asked Khoury.

"Are you _actually_ questioning Ash, Khoury?!" Dawn exclaimed. "Anabel just said he's still on his feet and running!"

"See," Lyra replied, "before we joined the Syndicate, we tried telling those goons that Ash would stop them, just like he did during that Lumiose City Disaster. They said they were aware of him, and that they had special plans for him."

"Special plans?" asked Serena apprehensively. "What special plans?"

"We have specific orders not to discuss that with you, not yet at least." Lyra looked down at the floor sadly, tears already flowing down her cheeks. "But they gave us a demonstration of what they'd do to him...and I'm sure it'll work..."

"You've underestimated Ash, then! Ash can withstand anything that is thrown at him! There's nothing in this universe that could shake him! There's absolutely no way the Syndicate will be able to break him!"

"Oh, isn't that right?" a drawling voice asked.

Everyone, Lyra and Khoury included, looked at the doorway. There stood Orlando, who was wearing his mask again. The Syndicate lieutenant stepped forward, prompting Lyra and Khoury to make way for him while the prisoners all gave him scathing looks.

"YOU!" growled Max, having regained consciousness a few moments ago and filled in on the situation. He stood up and clutched the bars of his cell tightly. "LET US ALL GO RIGHT NOW! OR I'LL MAKE SURE YOU REGRET IT! DO YOU HEAR ME?!"

"Yes, yes, I hear you, Max," replied Orlando. Though his mask obscured his entire face, everyone could tell he was smirking. "My, my, I can see we have a mini-Ash on our hands. How adorable..."

"SHUT UP! YOU DON'T KNOW **ANYTHING** ABOUT ME!"

"Actually, I do. Your father Norman is in a cell just like you, your mother Caroline is cowering somewhere in the city below, and your beloved, more talented big sister May is down at said city, probably attending to matters of a more important nature rather than trying to save you, who she'd rather not have any association with!"

Max growled savagely before yelling, "SHUT UP! MAY WILL COME! SHE'S JUST TAKING BONNIE HOME!"

"Yes, yes, Bonnie. The little girl that May treasures like a sister... A little sister... Probably the one she always wanted but never had. Instead, she was stuck with _you_."

"SHUT UP, YOU MONSTER!" roared Norman. "STOP TREATING MY SON LIKE THAT!"

However, Orlando ignored the Petalburg Gym Leader and patted Max's head, to his disgust. He continued, "And I bet you've always wanted a big brother, someone you could actually depend on... Someone like Ash, for instance. But no, you were stuck with May. May, the hardworking child, the famous child, the treasure of the Maple family...and you, the black sheep, the aberration, the sore thumb. _Always_ under the shadow of the great May. You've always felt that way, didn't you?"

"No," spat Max, but his voice was lower in volume.

Orlando chuckled and patted Max's head again. "Oh, I know you do. But it's okay. It's natural! When I was your age, I was in the exact same position as you. Only, I didn't I have an older sibling. I had a father." He glared at Norman, who narrowed his eyes at him. "A father who dedicated his life to stupid Pokémon research that'll mean jack in the future. People thought I'd be just like him, but I never had the slightest idea on how to understand Pokémon. From what I've always seen, Pokémon were just there to obey us and act as our tools, and if not, to be conditioned as such. Why waste your time trying to understand the scientific properties of a mere tool?"

"Yeah," Max growled. "Only I don't see my Pokémon as tools. Just my friends and equals. If you think you and I are alike, then you're sadly mistaken. I am _nothing_ like you!"

Orlando's smirk widened. "Oh, you'll see. But enough of that!" He turned to Lyra, Khoury, and the other guards. "We have new orders from the Benefactor! The ARCANE Project has been initiated! Take all of the hostages, every last one of them!"

Lyra and Khoury's faces paled, while the other grunts nodded and began opening the cells.

Serena blinked in surprise as a Team Plasma grunt opened up her cell and grabbed her arm.

"ARCANE Project?" she asked. "What's the ARCANE Project?"

"Oh, you'll see, honey," the grunt replied as he placed handcuffs on the Performer's wrists. "Trust me, you'll see..."

* * *

**Several minutes later**

Ash tapped his foot impatiently on the floor of the elevator he was in. Occasionally, he would look up at the floor number registry, only to be disappointed after knowing the elevator had yet to reach the basement, which contained the Syndicate's prison if Jessie, James, and Meowth's words were anything to go by. In addition, he would sometimes move his hand towards his belt on instinct, only to remember that he didn't have his Poké Balls with him; they were undoubtedly taken by the man named Copper, the same one who tried to steal his cap.

In his mind, he couldn't help but feel he hadn't seen the last of that Copper person... Memories of his Beedrill in particular were invading the corners of his mind for some reason...

To his relief, a bell rang, and the elevator doors slid open. Ash stepped out into a winding hallway and looked down both sides.

At his left side, there was a bright golden light shining in the distance.

At his right side, pitch-black darkness reigned supreme.

There were no signs telling him where he should go. What exactly was he supposed to do now?...

"Where am I supposed to go?..." he asked.

_**"Go left... Go to the light..."**_

"I gotta go left..." Ash said to himself. "I gotta go to the light..."

Ash turned and walked towards the bright golden light. However, after walking a few feet, he stopped and looked back at the darkness. For some reason, it seemed like there was something waiting for him within the endless, infinite black...

Then, he resumed walking, and he didn't stop or look back. He could hear a cacophony of voices clamoring, growing louder and louder with each step he took. The light was getting brighter and brighter, until it fully engulfed his vision to the point where all he could see was gold, gold everywhere...

After a few seconds, the light faded, and Ash found himself standing at one end of a oval-shaped stadium with a central battlefield. It was complete with hundreds, maybe thousands of seats, each of them occupied by a Syndicate grunt from both familiar and unfamiliar criminal organizations. At the opposite end of the stadium were three doors. Situated above them, each on four different sides of the stadium, was a gigantic screen. All four were displaying a stylized S written over a blue hexagon, likely the Syndicate's insignia.

It was as if he was in the Kalos League, ready to battle the next challenger and get one step closer to winning, and therefore becoming a Pokémon Master...

But he could tell that it was anything but.

_**"Welcome, Ash Ketchum!"**_

Ash gritted his teeth, recognizing the voice of Charon on the loudspeakers.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" he roared over the clamor.

_**"Why, isn't it obvious? We the Syndicate want a battle! Not just any battle, though. The **_**best _battle you can provide us, and one without the use of your precious Pokémon. We know you are capable of using Aura offensively and defensively. But it's obviously just a matter of measuring your full comprehension and skills. Fortunately, we have the tools to do _exactly_ that."_**

"And what makes you think I'll go along with your little experiment?! You're no doubt going to take my Aura away from me and use it for your own dastardly purposes!"

_**"Why will you do what we say, you ask? Well, it's very simple. Because their lives depend on it."**_

The shared image on all four screens switched to a live recording. Ash's eyes widened as he recognized Serena, Misty, Max, Dawn, Iris, and Cilan being held captive along with an untold number of others. He winced as he watched Max try to resist against his captor, only to be punched in the face by him. As soon as he did, he heard the malicious chuckle of Charon permeate the air, causing the raven-haired Trainer to shiver in disgust.

_**"Isn't it a pleasing sight, boy?"**_ the scientist asked mockingly. _**"For your friends to be gathered here to watch you do battle with your innate skills?"**_ He chuckled again. _**"Well, to be specific, if you don't do what we say, or should I say 'ask', then we'll execute ten random hostages of our choosing, one by one, with each time you refuse. So be free to turn down our offer as many times as you want. At least I get to measure **_**something**_**."**_

Ash clenched his fists and let out a vicious, bestial growl. "You guys won't get away with this!" he shouted.

_**"Yeah, yeah, you'll beat us, you'll save the day, there'll be sparkly rainbows and Butterfree. Yeah, we know. Now, shall we begin?"**_

A loud alarm sounded throughout the stadium as the three doors at the opposite side of the stadium slowly opened with different mechanical groans. Once they finished opening, silence fell upon the stadium. At first, Ash didn't know what exactly the Syndicate was planning on throwing at him. Then, he saw them.

Raikou, Entei, and Suicune, their eyes all glowing an unnatural red.

_**"Raikou, Entei, Suicune,"**_ said Charon, _**"attack that boy with everything you got."**_

The three Pokémon, then fired their attacks. Raikou fired Thunder, Entei activated Flare Blitz and charged towards Ash, and Suicune fired Hydro Pump.

* * *

Serena and the others watched in horror as the two attacks, plus the fire-encompassed Entei, headed towards the helpless Ash.

"ASH, NO!" Serena screamed at the top of her lungs.

_**"Hope you enjoy the show, everyone,"**_ Charon said mockingly.

* * *

Using his psychic abilities with a great amount of difficulty, Calem forced open several plates of reinforced steel. As soon as the hole he created was large enough for him to fit, he safely levitated into the Syndicate Headquarters. Once he settled down on the ground, the Trainer collapsed to the floor and began coughing violently, spraying the marble surface with voluminous specks of blood.

"Xerneas..." he groaned between coughs. "I'm...in..."

_**"How did you manage to get in?"**_ Xerneas asked through their mental link.

"I...levitated in..."

_**"In spite of the strain and damage it has obviously inflicted on your body? There were simpler ways to enter that monster."**_

"All of which...were...too slow... Would've taken...too much...time... I had to...get in...quickly..."

_**"At least you are still alive. Alright, recover from your internal injuries and then investigate. Greninja and I are still making our way there."**_

"With...pleasure..."

Calem de-established the mental link, then stood up and stared down the hallway, his vision blurring occasionally. He sighed weakly and then closed his eyes.

_**"Self-internal analysis...commence..."**_

He felt an unknown force scan his entire body, informing his brain of all damaged areas and general anomalies. There was an unsafely large amount of blood in his brain, required for the overacting of his neurons to perform his psychic abilities, and that was compressing the area's blood vessels to the point of near-damage. His heart was still beating rapidly as it continued pumping more blood to his brain. And the muscles in his arms were close to tearing apart.

_**"Self-healing...activate..."**_

"Hey!" a voice cried. "Who the hell's that guy?!"

"How the hell did he get in here?!" exclaimed a second voice.

"Who cares?! Let's get the guy and bring him to the Benefactor at once!"

_"Crap, I've been spotted!"_ Calem thought. _"I can't attack yet; it'll disrupt my concentration on the self-healing. I have to wait till I'm mostly healed..."_ He examined his healing rate. _"Aaaaannnnnddddd I'm only 25 percent healed. That is great. That is _so _great."_

He heard two sets of footsteps approaching his position, and he struggled to refrain himself from attacking in self-defense.

"This is gonna be sweet!" cried the second voice. "We're _so_ getting a pay raise for this!"

The first voice scoffed. "What do you mean, raise? We're not even being _paid_ right now for this stinking crap!"

"Ah, shut up! Let's just take him!"

_"50 percent healed... Come onnnn..."_

Calem felt something poking his shoulder gently. "Hey, get up, kid!" barked the second voice. "Get up!"

The Trainer refused to move. He could only hope the two men before him weren't straightforward with their duties...

"Why isn't he getting up, man?"

"Does it look like I know?!" snapped the first voice.

"It looks like he's meditating, dude..."

"Does it look like I give a jack-shit about meditation? Does the Benefactor give a jack-shit? Hell, no! Let's carry the guy and be done with it, simple as that! Quick, we mustn't waste anymore time!"

"Oh yeah, we can carry him too..."

_"Ah yes, the classic carry. 75 percent healed! Okay, that works."_

Summoning Fairy Aura and channeling all of it to his arms, Calem punched the two men's stomachs and sent both flying at his sides. He then opened his eyes, stood up, and looked across both of his shoulders. Lying at his left was a Team Aqua grunt, and at his right was a Team Magma grunt. Both appeared to be conscious.

"Well," Calem said, "that was easy."

He then broke into a run down the hallway, still feeling some of the pain and effects of using his psychic abilities while untrained in the area.

Then, he made a turn and was immediately greeted by the sight of more Syndicate grunts and their Pokémon, all led by Archie and a reluctant Curtis.

_"Aw, crud,"_ Calem thought bitterly. _"And I just got myself healed too..."_

"Well, well, well?" Archie said, sneering. "What do we have here?"

"It looks like a trespasser, sir," replied a Team Aqua grunt.

"I see." Archie chuckled malevolently. "Well then, let's teach this kid a little lesson on what happens to trespassers!"

"I don't think so!" Calem shouted, raising his right hand, aiming it at the group, and channeling his Aura to it. Everyone watched as an Aura Sphere materialized in front of the Trainer's palm and hovered in front of it. "AURA **SPHERE**!"

* * *

**Magenta Plaza  
Lumiose City**

Bonnie continued running as fast as she could, struggling to maintain her breath. Just then, she heard a mechanical groan emanating from the airship, and forced herself to stop and look up at the aerial vehicle. She could see several panels opening up on the airship's underside...

And dozens of jets were flying out of them and heading towards Lumiose City...

* * *

_"Then, what is the point behind our actions? What is the secret of the Universe? What is the meaning of life? The truth is...nothing. No meaning exists in this existence. Life is nothing more than **a grand scheme** concocted by the oh-so-almighty Arceus, created on a whim for his own amusement. We are the actors in a stage comedy, and he is the playwright who controls everything on the stage. With that said, the real question, I must say, is this: when will this comedy turn into a tragedy?"_

–Nihilistic philosopher Frederick Willard Nussenbaum, extracted from the last passage of _Surpassing Arceus_

* * *

**Next time on "Judgment's Fall"**

**Ash:** I can't do it. I just can't do it. No matter what I do, I just wind up falling back down to the same level I started at. Sooner or later, I'll just hit rock-bottom and lose. That's what's in store for me. Loss and defeat, no success and triumph. No personal glory, no title, no reward. I'm just doomed to repeat this cycle over and over again. I've...I've failed everyone... I'm sorry, everyone...but I couldn't save the day this time...

**Leaf:** Hey, hey, now's not the time to call it quits, Ash! Come on, never give up till the end! Do you remember that?

**Chapter 25: Hearing the Call**

* * *

**A/N:** And here we are, another chapter! Once again, I had to change some content, so it didn't turn out the way I indicated it would go in the last chapter's preview. In fact, some important aspects of Act II's climax have been changed considerably, so your initial assumptions may no longer be as spot-on as they once were. Or they're even more spot-on now. :P

Anyway, I have a couple of challenges for you readers. See if you can correctly answer one or both of these:

**1)** An Unown shaped like the pi symbol HAS been seen before, but not in the games or manga or any other "Pokémon"-related stuff. It's strictly an anime-exclusive thing. But you're gonna have to guess where it was seen before.

**2)** There's a "Star Wars" reference somewhere in this chapter. Try to find it.

If you get one right, I will answer only one question you have for this story. ONLY one question. HOWEVER, it CANNOT be a question about the Benefactor's identity; any kind of info on Ash, Serena, Calem, and Leaf; and what the Syndicate's grand scheme is. Answering for any of those options will just give away too much of the story.

If you get both right, I will send you a surprise PM regarding what's in store for this story. Okay, this is where I urge my unsigned reviewers to make accounts of their own if you want to receive this surprise PM. I want the contents of the PM to be a secret to everyone else and strictly for you. ;)

Now, you will only get one prize or the other. You do not answer both correctly and expect to get both prizes. Capieche? :P

**EDIT:** As of today, February 17, 2016, this little contest is closed. Even if you answer, no response will be given by me. My apologies.

I'd like to thank the following for reviewing:

**-Gyga (guest reviewer):**

**1)** And some of them actually joined the Syndicate! Even more travesties abound! :O

**2)** I'm glad you love my portrayal of Leaf! And it'll get even more interesting from there! ;)

**3)** Here's Blaziken Mask, up for some action-packed fighting! :D

**-Sayuri36ani:** Yeah, I'm not interested. Could you tell me what you found about that chapter that was interesting? Not interesting? That's what I'm interested in, overall.

**-Kyle (guest reviewer):**

**1)** Colress _was_ arrested.

**2)** I honestly don't know what happens to evil Pokémon when their Trainers are arrested. I just assumed they're all arrested as well. Maybe I can clear that up in the next act.

**3)** Nope, it's legit that Winona's a Syndicate spy. But she's got a good reason to do what she did.

**-U.N. Owen (guest reviewer):** No, it just disappeared with the Blue Orb.

**-DodgingKing:**

**1)** Oh, I think it's more than just a smell...

**2)** Hmmm, pretty good assumptions you made there! Let's see if they'll hold out.

**-ChE clarinetist:**

**1)** Ah yes, isn't the waiting game the most fun game to play? :P

**2)** XD I needed to make sure that this story was as updated as possible. XD

**3)** You're right, people did join!

**4)** Well, considering Clemont's always been seeing Bonnie rely on May more than himself as an older sibling, I'm pretty sure everyone has a breaking point, and Clemont just reached his. And the conflict will come back when the time is right, just you wait. :)

**-Anthrax99 (guest reviewer):**

**1)** Like I told ChE clarinetist, I needed to make sure that this story was as updated as possible. XD

**2)** Ash didn't recognize Leaf. But you'll see why Brock remembered Leaf so easily.

**-Trublsmbob (guest reviewer):**

**1)** It must be exciting for you, seeing two updates in a row for this story.

**2)** Nah, I can't see what relevance they have left for the story. Sorry, but I don't think I can fit them in anymore. Just a couple of minor scenes to remind the readers that the Kalos government is seeing what's happening and is indeed responding to the sudden appearance of the strange airship. But I had to fill those scenes in a little somehow, so I'm not wasting the reader's time.

**3)** Can't answer that.

**-Judge Dredd (guest reviewer):**

**1)** Thanks! It's highly appreciated. :)

**2)** Like I told ChE clarinetist, I'm pretty sure everyone has a breaking point, and Clemont just reached his, considering he's had to deal with seeing Bonnie rely on someone else as an older sibling besides him.

**3)** I don't recall doing anything with the Genesect Army in "Separation", but yes, you'll be seeing them in action in the next act.

**4)** No, not really, considering the OPness of the Syndicate's manpower and firepower.

**5)** Eh, it's okay. Prioritize your reviews in whatever way you see fit. I'll respond appropriately somehow. :D

**-Guest reviewer:** Poor, poor Reshiram.

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	27. Hearing the Call

**A/N:** Yeah, this update was pretty much overdue. Sorry for the painfully long wait, guys! But before we begin, I want to start off with a super-long Author's Note, so be prepared for the reading.

First off, I would like to give a recap on what I said in my second announcement chapter before deleting it, in case any of you decided to ignore it or have yet to read it.

Anyway, if any of you didn't know yet, new Pokémon games were just announced, titled "Pokémon Sun" and "Pokémon Moon", and they will kick off Generation VII. Which means that the XY saga is about to come to an end. Along with AmourShipping. Nooooooooooooooo. (I was really into both too.)

Now, I will say this: this most recent announcement will be a total game-changer for the story.

Now I'm not saying I will abandon this story altogether and start a new, more updated story, not when I'm about halfway through the story. But when things like this come up unexpectedly, I just cannot resist the urge to implement the new information into my current "Pokémon" stories. Call it a bit of an OCD thing. Now, nothing else is known about the new games except the Legendary Pokémon (which have yet to be named) and the three starter Pokémon, all of which look rather awesome, I will admit (and yes, that includes Popplio). But as new info comes up, I will implement them into "Judgment's Fall" in some way.

Also, the games are slated for release on November 18, 2016. At the rate this story is going, I expect it to end sometime during 2017, when Generation VII has just gotten into full swing. By that time, a lot of information will be learned, and I will likely implement most, if not all of it into the second half of "Judgment's Fall". The most probable scenario from this will involve a completely new ending, created to conform to whatever was set up by the Sun and Moon games. So yeah, if any of you have an idea on how the story will end, chances are your assumptions will be put to moot.

...So yeah, I just wanted to let all of you know that. Consider yourselves spoiled now.

Second off (and hear me out on this), I'm thinking about initiating an OC submission event. Yes, yes, I know I already have a bunch of characters and storylines that I'm juggling with, and I am aware that a great amount of OCs in a story sometimes bogs down the plot. But my mojo for writing this story has disappeared, which I blame on months of inactivity with it, my personal life, and my ever-increasing hype for the Sun and Moon games. And to be honest, I'm looking for a quick way to spice things up. Hence my consideration of an OC submission event, since I'm a fan of kicking things up a notch. However, I'm unsure if this is the safest route to go (like I said, I already have a lot of characters to write about), so I'm going to leave it up to you, the readers, to decide for me.

**Please, it is imperative you answer this question for me: should I initiate an OC submission event, or should I not? Do not afraid to be honest. I need it.**

Your answers, and the outcome, will be reflected on in the next chapter.

Okay, now that that's out of the way, it's time to get this chapter underway! :D

ENJOY!

**P.S.:** Remember, this chapter replaces the first announcement chapter I posted. As a result, you won't be able to review while you're signed into your account (for whatever reason), but you WILL be able to review as a guest. Just informing those who aren't aware of it/don't remember.

**P.P.S.:** After further consideration, I have ultimately decided that keeping the Side Story thing would be pretty useless, given the potential changes that may happen following the Gen VII games. As a result, I decided to delete that chapter. However, the prologue of this chapter was still taken, word-for-word, from that chapter.

* * *

**Iron Island Research Center  
Iron Island, Sinnoh**

In his private office, Riley sat cross-legged on a soft pillow on the wooden floor, his expression hard and serious. He was looking down at the dusty, thick book in his hands. Its cover sported several noticeable tears at its edges, along with the emblem of a stylized 'A'. Sitting in a similar position, at the other side of the room, was his Lucario, who had its eyes closed, its ears suspended and trembling softly from an unknown energy. It appeared the two of them were sitting in the exact same positions they were taking for hours now. It was currently daytime, though the sunlight shining through the single window failed to encompass the entire room, leaving it mostly shrouded in pitch-black darkness.

Finally, after a while, Riley looked up from the book and stared at his Lucario. The Aura Pokémon sensed this; it opened its eyes, and its ears fell down loosely, devoid of the energy that kept it levitated. It gave its Trainer a slightly puzzled stare before registering the book in his hands.

"Do you know what this is, Lucario?" the Trainer and Aura Guardian asked. "The chronicles of my forefathers." He raised the book, showing the front cover to Lucario in its full glory. "It's been a tradition in my family to pass this down to the firstborn of each new generation, use it to add a new chapter to the legacy of the lineage started by Sir Aaron." Riley chuckled hollowly and looked at the book. "I just found this locked away with my mother's belongings. Turns out my father died before he could have the opportunity to give this to me. Ironic, really. I've never been one for tradition."

Lucario tilted its head quizzically, a motion Riley noticed. The raven-haired man smiled slightly.

"But I _am_ one for learning about history," he said, as if in response to a question.

Then, he continued to stare longingly and seriously into the book cover, the A emblem seemingly radiating a golden glow of ancient pride as he did so. Just then, Riley lowered the book and inched his head upwards, while Lucario's position suddenly went prone.

"Did you really think you could sneak in here undetected?" the Aura Guardian asked indifferently. "You know better than to simply underestimate my abilities."

A lone figure suddenly stepped out of the shadows, his face still obscured by the darkness. The outline of a Pokémon perched on his shoulder could easily be seen.

"I don't see the point of keeping that book," the man replied. "It's not like it contains anything important."

"Oh, if only you knew. If only you knew." Riley pursed his lips, a dark expression flooding his face. "I am surprised that you decided to come all this way." He snorted with great disapproval. "I thought you were still at Knot Island, committing to what you call 'R and R'."

"Well," the mysterious figure replied, "the moment I heard Moltres was captured by those damn Syndicate goons, I knew I couldn't just sit in the sidelines and wait for something to happen in my favor. I had to do something. ...Besides, I think it was about time I got myself involved with the doings of the Aura Guardians again."

"The Aura Council is most displeased with you, however." Riley opened his eyes and glared at the man in the shadows with disapproval. "They will not accept your assistance, no matter how sincere you are. Once you shun the path, you are dead to them. There is no such thing as turning back."

"I didn't say I was returning. Just getting myself involved again."

Riley's eyes narrowed with disgust. "You've always been a disgrace to Aura Guardians everywhere."

The man chuckled, as if he had been told a joke instead. "Now is that any way to greet your father, Riley? I thought I raised you to be better than this!"

Grunting, the Aura Guardian looked away from the man who claimed to be his father and focused on Lucario instead. The Aura Pokémon immediately sensed the discomfort between the two men and remained silent for the sake of its Trainer and mentor.

"My father died a long time ago," Riley spat, "_Silver_."

The man's posture stiffened. Then, after a couple of minutes, he stepped further into the light, his silver hair and shabby clothing being illuminated, along with his pitiful, almost grieving expression. The Chikorita stared down at Riley solemnly from the safety of its Trainer's shoulder.

"Son," Silver said in a serious tone, "i-if you would just listen to me-"

"There's nothing to listen to." The Aura Guardian sighed. "Very well. You may get yourself involved in these matters. After all, there is nothing I could do to stop you, anyway."

"Thank you-"

"But I ask only two things from you. Two. Simple. Things."

Silver raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "And that is?"

Riley glared back at the older man. "Number one: don't EVER call me 'son', ever again. Number two: stay out of my way." As if on cue, Lucario stood up and joined its Trainer's side, its red eyes piercing into Silver menacingly. "Are we clear on those terms, or do I need to make myself clearer to you?"

"Oh no, I'm perfectly clear on those terms," Silver replied hurriedly. Then, he added in his mind, _"Son."_

"You do know I can read minds, right?"

"Aw, sh-"

However, before Silver could complete his sentence, the door burst open, revealing Professor Carolina. The look on her face indicated only one thing to the two men.

"What has the Syndicate done this time?" Riley asked apprehensively.

"They've taken over Lumiose City," the professor replied, her voice quaking. "Kalos has sent out its entire military force, but-"

Riley growled angrily, cutting her off, "It's just going to induce further unnecessary casualties..." With another growl of fury, he slammed the ancient-looking book down on the floor, startling everyone else in the room, even Lucario. "Damn it! Arceus-damn it all!"

Once Riley's rage was settled, the Aura Guardian looked up at Carolina. Realizing what he was going to ask, the professor spoke for him.

"We're no longer going to Sandgem Town. We're now going to Michina Town."

* * *

**In the skies of Kalos  
Miles away from Lumiose City**

At the moment, it had been flying across the sky, completely unaware of the disturbance happening miles away. But then, all of a sudden, it felt the power of the Red Orb surging for a brief moment in the distance. The occurrence was so brief and harmless that one would question the amount of alarm it posed. But to it, it knew that this sudden spike of power that it detected was not natural. The last time it felt such an energy was a few months ago, when they were fighting again.

That was when it knew...it had to act yet again.

To reset the balance of nature.

* * *

**Chapter 25: Hearing the Call**

* * *

**_"It was built to promote understanding between humans and Pokémon, and my ancestors protected it for generations. Over the decades, the Tin Tower became a special place for another reason. It was the only place on earth where Ho-Oh, the legendary Pokémon, made contact with humans. Ho-Oh's visits were a sign of peace, but it would only appear to a chosen few. Only those guarding the tower. Then, one day, invaders came who sought to use the Ho-Oh's power for evil! In the ensuing battle, the Tin Tower was set afire! The Ho-Oh fled... It ceased to make contact with humans...and it has never returned. Some wanted to rebuild the tower, but my ancestors insisted that it be left as a witness for future generations of man's brutality, but they also decided to build a new Tin Tower. Their hope was that the Ho-Oh might return, to a new place of peace. So far...these hopes have been in vain... We've waited so long that some people say that Ho-Oh was a legend that never really existed."_**

The man with blood-red eyes continued to stand on top of Prism Tower, watching as the airship remained in its suspended state in the sky.

"And soon," he said, sneering, "it shall happen again..."

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters  
In the skies of Lumiose City, Kalos**

Charon smugly stared out from his personal box, overlooking the entire stadium the Syndicate set up in their headquarters. A cacophony of cheering was erupting from the seats of said stadium, where hundreds of Syndicate agents were seated, like spectators witnessing a gladiatorial battle. He could see the hypnotized Raikou, Entei, and Suicune preparing to attack Ash, who was standing still on the other side of the stadium, looking absolutely befuddled on what to do to combat them. The scientist's lips curved into a sinister sneer.

_"Raikou, the legendary Thunder Pokémon,"_ Charon thought. _"Born from the thunder that struck the Tin Tower of Ecruteak City. Entei, the legendary Volcano Pokémon. Born from the fire that destroyed the Tin Tower. Suicune, the legendary Aurora Pokémon. Born from the winds and rain that extinguished the fire. Perfect choices for this boy, given what we know about him."_

He tapped his fingers twice on the surface of the counter before him. A glint came upon the lens of his dark glasses as his sneer widened slightly.

_"This should be a_ very _interesting experiment..."_

Just then, he heard the door open, and he turned around to see someone entering the room. After identifying the newcomer, Charon smiled.

"A pleasure for you to join me," he said. "Benefactor."

The Benefactor, still shrouded in the shadows of the room, gave off the subtlety of a sneer of his own.

"The pleasure is mine, Charon," the Syndicate leader replied. "Is everything in place?"

"Yes, sir. We're ready to execute the project. All I need now is for you to give the word."

"Good." The Benefactor made an assertive slashing motion with his hand. "Do it."

* * *

Ash grunted as he rolled away to avoid Entei's incoming Flare Blitz attack, but he stumbled and fell down to the ground in the process. He then spotted Raikou's Thunder approaching him at fast speeds. Exerting whatever strength he had left, he managed to avoid the Electric-type attack as well. But by that point, he had already become so exhausted from the running he had done earlier, that he couldn't avoid Suicune's Hydro Pump.

He felt the blast of water hit him unrelentingly, sending him flying into a concrete wall near the rows of occupied seats and knocking the wind out of him. As he fell to the ground again, he could vaguely hear the cacophony of cheers and yells of pleasure emanating from the Syndicate grunts who were all watching him. For a moment, Ash was reminded of an actual Pokémon battle.

Only...it was anything but...

He hit the ground.

* * *

"NO!" Serena screamed, but she wasn't the only one to express her denial. "ASH!"

The hostages all watched as Ash fell to the ground, bloodied and motionless. Serena vaguely heard a couple of the grunts watching over her tutting in disappointment. However, she didn't care, not even in the slightest. She never cared what the Syndicate wanted to do, what they wanted to prove. She didn't even care about the fact that Ash could use Aura, whatever that was. What she did know was that whatever the Syndicate designed for Ash was going to kill him. After all, who in their right mind would be foolish enough to believe anyone could withstand against the might of three Legendary Pokémon?!

"Wait a minute, he's getting up!" Dawn suddenly shouted. "He's getting up!"

Serena's eyes widened as she watched her crush do that exact thing. He looked badly wounded, but he still looked like he could move. She didn't know how it was possible; the impact caused by that Hydro Pump looked rather fatal.

Then again, this was Ash Ketchum she was thinking about...

_"Wait a minute,"_ she thought. _"What am I supposed to be worried about?! If Ash can face down a rampaging Garchomp on the top of Prism Tower, then he can do this!"_ Her brows furrowed in worry. _"Right?..."_

She watched as Ash faced down Raikou, Entei, and Suicune with determination.

_"Ash, please be careful..."_

* * *

He didn't know how in the world he was still moving after the hit he received, but he was moving. That was all that mattered at the moment. He needed to find a way to beat the Legendary Pokémon before him, rescue his friends from captivity, and save the day.

Ash growled angrily as he stared down Raikou, Entei, and Suicune, all of whom roared back at him. He didn't want to hurt them, but they were clearly hypnotized by the Syndicate and he didn't know any possible method to undo their condition. He then glanced at the four screens at each side of the stadium, which were still showing live recordings of the Syndicate's hostages, which included his friends and acquaintances. They were all in danger, and their lives depended on his actions.

He knew there was no other choice. For now, he had to play Charon's game.

"Alright," he snarled. "Bring it on."

Entei roared again and fired a Flamethrower at Ash's direction. With a yell, Ash jumped out of the way of the attack, allowing it to scorch the wall behind him. Then, he got back up quickly and began to think about what Charon told him back in that room.

_**"**_**_When Copper told me how easy it was to capture you, I thought you might've forgotten your comprehension of Aura abilities. But I guess that considering your normal lifestyle, your abilities only kick in when the situation is extremely dire."_**

_"So...I'm in an extremely dire situation,"_ Ash thought. _"If that scientist was right, then I should be able to use my Aura against Raikou, Entei, and Suicune...right?"_

He quickly dodged another Hydro Pump fired by Suicune and then raised his palm at the Legendary Beasts. Exerting all of his mental strength, he tried to summon an Aura Sphere based on his memory of his experiences with Lucario at the Tree of Beginning, but nothing happened.

_"What?!"_

Ash rolled out of the way as Raikou tried to attack him with Thunder Fang. He then raised his hand at the Thunder Pokémon, but like the last time, nothing happened. No Aura Sphere was materializing in front of his palm, not even a weak one, and he couldn't even feel a surge of strange, newfound energy flowing throughout his body. He was still in his usual, normal state.

_"Why isn't anything happening?! Why am I not able to use Aura?! This is supposed to be an extremely dire situation, right?!"_

At the corner of his eye, Ash saw an Aurora Beam headed towards him at high speed.

"Great!" he exclaimed as he ducked to avoid the attack. "How in the world am I supposed to do this?!"

Entei roared and fired a Fire Blast attack at Ash. After he managed to dodge the attack, the raven-haired Trainer simply broke into a run, dashing around the stadium and dodging any attacks fired by the Legendary Beasts from left and right. Occasionally, he would try to materialize an Aura Sphere, but nothing would happen on every occasion he took. The fleeting glances at the live recordings of his captive friends didn't help matters at all. After a couple of minutes of these fruitless efforts passed, Ash was already beginning to tire out. He didn't understand why he couldn't activate his Aura.

Even the Syndicate was beginning to realize that. The grunts in the audience stands were beginning to yell angrily and boo at him, and there was a tense air of great impatience in the air. It didn't take long for the Legendary Beasts to stop their assault, and for Charon's voice to fill the stadium again.

_**"Well, your running out and dodging has been entertaining for the first few seconds, Ash Ketchum, but that method has now run its course. Just like any long-running show that's been milked by its creators for all it's worth. It's time for some motivation. Bring someone, anyone forward."**_

Ash watched the screens in horror as a Syndicate grunt shoved Cilan forward, having apparently chosen him at random. He couldn't hear their voices, but he could see Serena and the others protesting angrily, especially Iris.

"Wait, wait, what're you doing to him?!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. "WHAT'RE YOU DOING TO HIM?!"

_**"Using him as motivation, Ash,"**_ Charon replied.

At that moment, the grunt kicked Cilan hard in the stomach, sending him down on the floor. The Pokémon Connoisseur tried to clutch his stomach, but was unable to do so because of his handcuffed wrists. Ash's eyes widened in horror.

"CILAN!"

_**"That was a taster, Ash Ketchum. Now, use your Aura, or we'll make sure he experiences the main course. We've prepared it specifically for occasions like this. Understanding the severity of this shouldn't be that difficult of a task for you. Now...use your Aura!"**_

"I-I don't know how!" Ash cried desperately. "I've tried; I've _been_ trying! You could see that!"

_**"You're obviously not trying hard enough, so you need another trigger. Unless you don't want your friend to be brutalized any further, I suggest you start putting in more effort in summoning your Aura. Or we will continue compounding the situation for you in order to trigger a satisfactory response from you, and I know how much you don't want that to happen. Better be quick, boy."**_

Raikou suddenly roared and charged towards Ash, its fangs sparkling with yellow volts of electricity. The raven-haired Trainer raised his trembling palm and tried his best to summon his Aura, but once again, nothing was happening. So, he leaped away from Raikou, but tripped in the process and fell to the ground. He glanced back at the screens and saw Cilan looking back at him. But he was not wearing a pleading expression. No, he had an expression of hope and confidence etched on his face.

Cilan had faith in him to overcome this obstacle...and that made Ash's heart sink.

_"I'm sorry, Cilan,"_ he thought. _"If I can't even beat a Pokémon League, then how can I expect myself to use my Aura powers?..."_

He then saw Entei charging at him, using Flare Blitz again. Ash scrambled out of the way, and he could feel the searing heat emanating from the hypnotized Volcano Pokémon's body as it passed him.

As he stood up from the ground, he heard Charon tutting in disappointment.

**_"Well, this is anticlimactic. Very, _very_ anticlimactic. It's a shame, really."_**

Ash growled angrily, just before he avoided another of Suicune's Hydro Pumps.

**_"You__ know,"_** continued Charon,**_ "I expected more from a descendant of Sir Aaron. I really did."_**

Ash's eyes widened upon hearing the scientist's taunt.

"WHAT?!" he shouted. "I'm...I'm a descendant of Sir Aaron?! The Aura Guardian who sacrificed himself to stop that war thousands of years ago?!"

_**"Why, of course, Ash Ketchum. Why else do you think your Aura signature is identical to that of Sir Aaron's? You see, the direct descendants of an Aura Guardian share the same Aura signatures as their ancestors, and therefore, the same Aura powers and comprehension."**_

Ash blinked in shock, and looked down at his bandaged hands. He still distinctly remembered how Lucario briefly mistook him for Sir Aaron, and how the Aura Pokémon later said how his Aura looked just like Sir Aaron's. He thought it was just a simple coincidence and didn't bother to think about it seriously. But now that he actually thought about it...it made more sense now. They looked alike, they performed similar heroics, they were capable of producing a great amount of Aura...

He looked back up at the screens, which were still showing Cilan reeling on the floor.

"How did you know all of this?" he asked.

_**"How did we know?"**_ Charon repeated. _**"Well, let's just say we have our sources. We have all the sources in the world..."**_ Ash could imagine the scientist smirking. _**"Shocked, boy? Well, it's not every day you learn that you're the descendant of a world-renowned hero. I would've been shocked myself."**_

"I've been shocked by a lot of things. It may be surprising, but at this point, things make a lot of sense to me."

_**"Yes. And like I said, we are aware of your other accomplishments. Which is why you're the ideal participant for this experiment."**_

"Yeah, participant," Ash spat. "Right. I'm _so_ your willing participant in your _beneficial_ experiment for the _good_ of all of mankind."

Charon's malevolent laughter filled the air. _**"How hilarious! Do my ears deceive me, or did Ash Ketchum just give me a snappy, sarcastic response?"**_

"Yeah, that's something new from me. You know, I've been through way too much right now. I don't have time for your insane experiment, or for the Syndicate's evil plans. You won't win." He scanned his audience with an enraged expression. "DO YOU HEAR ME, SYNDICATE?! YOU WILL NOT WIN IN YOUR SCHEMES!"

The grunts were all silent, instead giving Ash hateful looks. Even Charon was disturbingly silent.

Finally, after a couple of minutes, the scientist replied, _**"Oh, Ash Ketchum, your heroism and willingness to stand against evil is just...unparalleled. You definitely are the descendant of Sir Aaron. Now, as much as I admire your determined attitude, I also find it horribly cliched. I mean, here you are, at the mercy of all of us, the Syndicate! I don't know what else to say about that, boy..."**_

"I'll find a way to beat you. I'll find a way to beat you all. I've defeated some of your organizations before!"

_**"Just four of them. And you did all of that within a four-year span. What you see all around you, boy, is the coalition of more than 300 organizations, plus their many resources across the world. Are you telling me you will be able to defeat all of us in a span of hours?"**_

"Like I told you before, I have to try."

_**"And like**_** I_ told you before, try, by all means!_**_** You can start by learning how to produce Aura, or else-"**_

Ash watched in horror as the grunt began beating Cilan.

**_"Good ole Cilan here will not live long enough to taste precious freedom again."_**

"CILAN!" Ash screamed as he watched his friend cry and writhe in pain from his assault. Though he couldn't hear the savage beating, he could tell Cilan was feeling a massive amount of pain, all because he, his friend, couldn't even muster the simple strength of summoning Aura.

Ash's mind reeled as he desperately searched around for an easy answer to his predicament. Why he was having such a difficulty in accomplishing this task?! After all, he was able to do it last time! Why couldn't he do it this time?! Had he really forgotten? Did his long years of striving to become a Pokémon Master really put a damper on his innate abilities? Was he really so blinded by these impossible, almost unreachable goals that he couldn't manage his priorities and at least train his abilities on the side, just in case they came in handy? Was he really that _stupid_ and _selfish_ and _WEAK_?!

_"How could I be so _dumb_?..."_ he thought. _"Cilan's getting hurt...because I couldn't try and explore my Aura ability a little further..."_ He gritted his teeth. _"Of course I couldn't, because I was so preoccupied with becoming a Pokémon Master, something I couldn't do!"_

The raven-haired Trainer clutched his head, feeling his entire body go numb, and his head spinning with a chaotic mix of emotions. He could feel the world all around him fade away into nothingness. The yelling of the Syndicate members were fading away. The angered roars of Raikou, Entei, and Suicune were becoming so distant. Even the ground he was standing on lacked any meaning to him. Nothing mattered to him anymore...

Except for his anger, and self-hatred...

_"I can't use Aura. I can't help my friends. I can't stop the bad guys. I can't save the day. I can't even become a Pokémon Master..."_

His grip around his head tightened.

_"If I can't do any of these things, then what am I?"_

He could feel his fingernails sinking through his unkempt hair and digging into the skin underneath.

_"What the hell am I?!"_

He felt his fingernails piercing his skin, but he only pressed harder in frustration. He desperately wanted to scratch at it, tear at his own skin, rip his own face off!

_"WHY CAN'T I DO ANYTHING RIGHT?!"_

He felt something dribbling down his cheeks, but it wasn't tears.

It was his own blood.

* * *

**Magenta Plaza  
Lumiose City**

Bonnie watched in terror from the ground as dozens of jets flew out from the airship's underside and flew towards the city. At first, she expected them to fire bullets and missiles into the city, like she would see in her father's old alien invasion movies. But instead, they flew close to the rooftops of the city buildings, positioned themselves so they could hover directly over them, and opened up their own undersides...

And out would come numerous Syndicate grunts, a dozen or so for every jet.

Taking cover behind a nearby food stand, Bonnie watched as the many Syndicate grunts descended from the jets and landed safely on the rooftops before scaling down the building walls. Some of the grunts broke through the windows and gained entry into the buildings, and the little girl could hear shouts, terrified screams, and an occasional exchange of Pokémon attacks. Other grunts simply landed in the plaza and the walkways, and began walking around in random directions in search of anyone to capture and rob of Pokémon, sometimes shouting orders at each other.

It was then that Bonnie realized what was truly happening: the Syndicate was planning a complete takeover of Lumiose City.

"Alright, listen up, everyone!" ordered a Team Plasma grunt as he and dozens of other grunts gathered in Magenta Plaza. "We are to enter all the residences around here and take them over! All forms of resistance are to be subjugated with brute force!"

"Yes, sir!" chorused the other grunts.

"Alright, then!" The Team Plasma grunt then procured a strange-looking Poké Ball and threw into the air. "Go, Cresselia!"

Bonnie's eyes widened in shock as she watched the Lunar Pokémon emerge from the device, its eyes red.

"Cresselia?" she asked to herself in confusion.

"Yo, Coulson!" a voice shouted, and Bonnie watched as a female Team Magma grunt approached the Team Plasma grunt. "We've got a situation at the bookstore. Code red, civilians there are fighting back."

"I'll send over some Pinchers," the first grunt replied before whipping out a walkie-talkie.

However, before Bonnie could hear what he was going to say into the device, a female Team Galactic grunt suddenly began approaching the food stand, her Hippowdon following right behind her. Covering her mouth as tightly as she could, the girl hid behind the stand, desperately hoping that the woman wouldn't find her. Glancing at her satchel, she saw Dedenne crawling out, its cheeks sparkling with electricity in preparation.

"No, Dedenne!" she whispered. "We're outnumbered! We can't attack them!"

"Dede..." growled the Antenna Pokémon defensively, its cheeks still sparkling.

"Please, Dedenne! I know you want to protect me, but it's no use!"

"Dede!"

Before Bonnie could speak again, someone else did, sending shivers down the little girl's spine.

"Why, hello there, little one. Are you lost?"

Bonnie looked up in fear and saw the Team Galactic grunt looking down at her with a frightening smirk on her face. Her Hippowdon was beside her, staring menacingly at the innocent duo. Dedenne growled angrily at the Heavyweight Pokémon, but it merely snorted back with such force that the Antenna Pokémon was knocked off its unofficial owner's satchel by the sudden blast of air.

"Dedenne!" squeaked a terrified Bonnie.

In frustration, Dedenne hopped back up on its feet and fired a Thunder Shock at Hippowdon. However, the Heavyweight Pokémon merely took in the ineffective attack and yawned, causing Dedenne to sweat-drop. The grunt's smirk widened even more.

"You know," she said, "a little kid like you shouldn't be wandering the streets alone. Why don't you come with me? I'll take good care of your Dedenne..."

"NO!" Bonnie grabbed her Electric Pokémon and held it with all of her might and protectiveness. "Dedenne's mine! Mine and mine only! You can't take him away from me!"

"Oh, I'm afraid you didn't understand me the first time, little girl." The grunt reached into her pocket and pulled out another strange-looking Poké Ball. "It wasn't a question..."

"WHOA, INCOMING!" a voice shouted at the top of his lungs.

The moment the grunt and her Hippowdon looked away, Bonnie seized her chance to start running. As she did, she heard an explosion so close by that she could feel the very ground beneath her feet tremble. However, she ignored it, merely screaming and running down the walkway as fast as she could, past all of the other grunts who were now distracted by the latest, unknown development.

As she ran, Bonnie quickly came to realize that her only means of shelter from this chaos, her father's shed, was now out of reach. She couldn't go back to Magenta Plaza, not with all those grunts around, and who knows what happened that would have caused that explosion? Now, she had to find another shelter.

_"I wish Clemont were here right now..."_ she thought sadly.

Unfortunately, she didn't get very far when she spotted more groups of grunts from various organizations several yards ahead. They were busy patrolling the streets and entering stores in search of any hiding civilians. Bonnie saw one such group drag an elderly couple out of a store as they wept, followed by a Clefairy she assumed was theirs, as its movements seemed to be mechanical and its eyes were unnaturally red like Cresselia's. Bonnie watched in sadness and horror as the grunts split up, one group leading the elderly couple away while the other group led the Clefairy towards...a group of dozens of other Pokémon with red eyes...

She looked down at Dedenne, who was also staring fearfully at the sight.

"Don't worry, Dedenne," she said. "I'm not gonna let them take you." Holding the Antenna Pokémon closer, she looked around for a safe route to take. "I'm not."

Bonnie was still looking around when she heard a voice whispering to her from a near distance.

"Bonnie? Oh my Arceus, Bonnie! Bonnie, over here!"

The girl looked around for the source of the voice, and was quick to spot someone cautiously peeking out of the doorway of a grooming salon. Bonnie's eyes widened when she recognized the blue hair and eyes, and the red beret.

"Jessica?" she replied, surprised to see the Pokémon Stylist-in-training in Lumiose.

Jessica looked around quickly for a second before gesturing Bonnie to come over.

"Come in, Bonnie, hurry!" she pleaded in a hushed voice. "We have a secondary room we're taking cover in! Come on, hurry!"

Bonnie nervously glanced at the Syndicate grunts, and she realized that the groups were all still preoccupied with their current tasks. Not wanting to be seen by them, she took Jessica's offer and ran inside the salon with her. The girl heaved out a sigh of relief as she heard Jessica close the door and lock it.

"Oh, my Arceus!" the Stylist exclaimed as she grabbed a backpack lying next to a bookshelf and slung it over her shoulder. "It's a good thing I decided to quickly come back out to get Jeffrey's bag! Otherwise, I wouldn't have seen you!" She looked at Bonnie with a concerned expression. "What were you doing out there, Bonnie? And all alone, I might add?!"

"I...I was trying to find my daddy's shed..." replied Bonnie. "It... It was the only place I could go to..."

Jessica blinked and looked around in worry. "And where are Ash, Serena, and Clemont?"

"They're probably fighting those meanies right now..."

"They're fighting _them_?" The Stylist looked out of the window for a brief moment. "It'd take several miracles for them to win. Come on, Bonnie..."

The blue-haired woman took Bonnie over to a room located at the back of the salon. Scanning around, Bonnie could only see shelf after shelf of different supplies, and nothing else inside. Jessica approached one such shelf and pulled it to the side, revealing a secret passageway lit up by candles attached to the walls.

"Whoa!" Bonnie exclaimed, her eyes widening. "You've got a secret room?!"

"Dede?!" chirped an equally shocked Dedenne.

"It came with this salon. I think it might've been some panic room used by the previous owners. Quick, go in, go in!"

She quickly ushered the little girl inside, followed her, and closed the passageway behind her. The two of them then walked down a small set of stairs, Jessica blowing out all of the side-candles one by one along the way. Once they reached the bottom, Bonnie found herself standing in a small basement of sorts, currently occupied by a group of civilians. One of them, who Bonnie recognized as Jessica's tutor Sherman, stood up and approached Jessica.

"Did you get Jeffrey's bag, Jessica?" he asked. Jessica nodded and gave him the backpack she had; Sherman in turn gave it to a boy around Ash's age, who had long, thick, unkempt hair tied into a ponytail at the back. At that point, Sherman noticed Bonnie's presence, and his eyes widened.

"My Arceus!" the groomer exclaimed. "_Bonnie_? What're you doing here, and where are your friends?"

Bonnie sighed sadly as she scanned the group of refugees, unsure if she was going to be with them for a while from this point on.

"It's a bit of a long story..." she replied.

* * *

**In the skies of Lumiose City**

Mewtwo grunted loudly in pain. She could feel her head reeling from the impact of the collision between her and her unknown, armored assailant. Apparently, her opponent recognized her current state, for it recovered quickly and forced her away using Psychic. Once she was at a considerable distance, it fired a barrage of Shadow Balls at her, but she managed to recover and dodge them all using her lightning-fast speed. She then began circling the airship, with her opponent following right behind her and firing unsuccessful Shadow Balls all the while.

Finally, after a couple of minutes, Mewtwo turned around and used Psystrike, which her opponent was unable to avoid. Before she could execute another attack, it recovered unusually quickly and fired three more Shadow Balls at her, but she dodged all of them. Then, before she could approach it, the being caught her and sent her flying into one of the airship's concrete beams with Psychic, embedding her in it.

As she recovered, she could see her opponent approaching at the corner of her eye. Without looking, she fired an Aura Sphere at it, hoping to catch it off-guard. Instead, the being used Counter to deflect the attack. Dodging her rebounding Aura Sphere, Mewtwo then used Psychic to retrieve slabs of the concrete beam she collided into and hurl them at her opponent's direction. It would respond by dodging them and using Psychic to hurl some back at her. She in turn dodged them and hurled them back at it, along with anything else useful from the airship.

The process repeated itself for under a minute, though by that point, the two had made hundreds of tosses at each other, going back and forth. Both were determined to best the other at their own game.

Then, Mewtwo detected something else incoming. It wasn't coming from her opponent. No, it was...a swarm of fighter jets, just like the two she had passed a while ago. Two were flying ahead of the others, likely as lookouts.

To her horror, her opponent seemed to detect it too, for it had dropped the objects it had been using as weapons and held out a hand towards the opposite direction. Another second later, it made a throwing motion towards her.

Mewtwo's eyes widened as she could see a fighter jet hurling towards her at high speed. She could hear the pilot inside still screaming.

Using Psychic, she managed to slow down the incoming aerial vehicle, but it still managed to hit her. As they both flew across the air, Mewtwo used her Psychic to safely remove the pilot, a woman with reddish-orange hair and eyes, out of the jet and place her on a balcony on the airship. Then, she managed to fully stop in midair and levitate away from the inert jet. She could see her opponent still floating in the air, waiting for her to make her next move.

_**"You tried to involve innocents in this,"**_ Mewtwo thought. _**"You have crossed a line, whoever you are. I will see to it that you pay for your atrocities!"**_ She then glanced at the jet, which she still had a hold of with her Psychic. _**"Let's see how far my powers have gotten..."**_

She straightened out the fighter jet and faced it towards her opponent.

_**"NOW!"**_

Using Psychic, Mewtwo manipulated the jet's cannons to fire a hail of machine-gun bullets at the assailant. It managed to fly away to avoid them, but she directed the jet to ensure the bullets would follow it. After a few seconds, the opponent flew behind the airship and out of sight. Mewtwo immediately halted the gunfire and closed her eyes, hoping to detect the assailant's presence nearby.

However, she couldn't sense anything out of the ordinary.

**_"Where did he go?..."_** she thought.

Suddenly, she heard the creaking of steel. Opening her eyes and looking above her, Mewtwo saw another fighter jet headed towards her against its own will, its outline glowing blue. She could see the pilot still sitting inside, screaming.

Reacting on instinct, Mewtwo slammed her jet into the incoming one, triggering a massive explosion that stunned her and threw her back. As she fell through the air, the Genetic Pokémon realized what she had done. Images of the terrified pilot, screaming from inside the cockpit, flashed across her mind.

_**"That human, he...he was definitely frightened in his last moments..."**_ she thought grimly. _**"He probably had a family...just like the one back at that city. April, Eva, Tanner, and Eevee... I can still hear his screams... I'm so sorry..."**_ She then narrowed her eyes. _**"No... It is not my fault. I acted in self-defense. I had to act for my own well-being this time. There was nothing I could've done to help him. No, the only thing I can do now is avenge him!"**_

Mewtwo regained her senses and used Psychic to straighten herself in the air. She then glanced towards the site of the explosion, where there was now only a massive, dark cloud of smoke hanging in the air. She narrowed her eyes even further, sensing that her opponent was ready to attack.

As expected, he came bursting through the cloud of smoke, a Shadow Ball ready. However, she was faster.

Mewtwo fired an Aura Sphere, which the being immediately dodged. However, she anticipated his move and fired a second Aura Sphere, which hit its mark and also caused the Shadow Ball to explode in her opponent's hands. As it was distracted, Mewtwo, in a span of seconds, flew up to it and used a particularly strong Psychic to paralyze it. Then, she threw it violently into one of the airship's concrete beams, embedding it inside the substance.

As Mewtwo approached it, the other being fired a Shadow Ball at her in one last attempt at resistance, but she easily dodged it. Then, she grabbed it and, with an uncontrollable fury, punched it in its masked head repeatedly, using Psychic to strengthen her blows. Every time she struck the being's mask, cracks appeared on it. It tried to resist, but Mewtwo would respond to every twitch by strengthening her Psychic hold on it.

**"THIS. IS. FOR. THAT. INNOCENT. _HUMAN_!"** she screamed with every punch she took.

The being did not respond, instead taking every punch. Mewtwo could vaguely hear it grunting in pain, and was admittedly surprised that it could perceive such a sensation. But it didn't stop her from punching it over and over again. She knew that it would be an obstacle in her mission to stop the evil that was planning on targeting the innocent city below, and that it was an obstacle that matched her physical and Psychic capabilities. And to make matters worse, it wasn't something that could listen to logic or reason, unlike the Red Genesect she encountered last year. It barely even seemed to have a mind of its own. As such, she couldn't settle on subduing this obstacle.

No, she had to kill it. It made her feel guilty about it, but she knew it was the only tactical solution.

_**"I have no choice,"**_ she thought as she readied another punch.

She violently forced her fist back into her opponent's mask. She could feel its glass, plastic, and metal biting into her knuckles. She saw shards of it flying.

Then, the mask broke in half.

Mewtwo withdrew her clenched fist and prepared to make another punch, but she stopped herself short upon seeing the true face of her opponent, the one that seemed to match her at every single aspect of her. Her blood ran extremely cold, and her eyes widened in horror. She couldn't believe what she was seeing right now.

She was staring at a reflection. Her reflection looked back at her with pained eyes.

In shock, Mewtwo levitated herself a couple of feet away and examined her opponent in full detail. As she did, she realized that its suit of armor had completely fallen off when it collided into the concrete beam. The armor must've been hindering its true appearance in Mewtwo's eyes, for she never knew what her assailant had looked like until now. But now that she was staring at its armorless form, Mewtwo realized the horrible truth.

She had been fighting another Mewtwo.

**"No,"** she moaned in complete disbelief, shaking her head. **"This can't be... I...I thought I was the only one! How can this be?!"**

The other Mewtwo didn't respond. Instead, its eyes glowed a menacing blue aura. Seconds later, Mewtwo felt her body being hurled towards the earth by an unknown force. But at this point, she no longer cared. All she could think about now was the fact that she was no longer the only Mewtwo in the world... She was no longer alone...

But why didn't she know about this? Her short time with her creators never gleaned any information about the existence of another Mewtwo, just the source of her DNA: the New Species Pokémon, Mew.

_**"Perhaps Mew knows something about this..."**_ she thought.

Just then, she heard someone vaguely screaming, "WHOA, INCOMING!"

Before she knew it, Mewtwo crashed into something with full force, and she could feel debris pouring all around her, burying her as everything around her turned black.

* * *

Mewtwo weakly removed himself from the concrete pillar, groaning in pain, his head spinning in confusion. For some reason, he felt like something was wrong...but he wasn't supposed to feel such feelings. In fact, he wasn't even supposed to be thinking! He had a mission to do...right?...

Wait...why _was_ he thinking?...

"MTX!" a voice cried.

Mewtwo glanced towards the airship floor directly below him, and he could see one of his commanders running up to him. Curtis, he believed the name was.

"MTX, we have intruders within headquarters!" the boy cried. "Forget about MTY and dispatch them at once!"

Mewtwo nodded silently. As he levitated away, something seemed to click in his mind, but the exact sensation of it was gone as quickly as it came. For some reason...his commander reminded him of someone...

* * *

Curtis watched cautiously as Mewtwo flew inside the Syndicate Headquarters. Once the Genetic Pokémon was gone, he winced, still feeling the injuries he received from that Aura-wielding boy he and Archie encountered. Then, he produced a walkie-talkie from his pocket, pressed a button, and spoke into it.

"Orlando, this is Tetsu. Do you copy? Over."

There was static for a few seconds. Then, Orlando's voice came through the speaker.

"Copy that, Tetsu. What is it? Over."

"MTX just dispatched MTY," replied Curtis. "Over."

"Dispatched? I believe the objective was to _capture_ MTY, not dispatch. Over."

"My thoughts exactly. But I have good reason to believe that MTX's hypnosis might have been compromised during his battle with MTY. He hasn't regained his memory, but he does seem a little dazed and confused. It would explain why he didn't follow the objective we set for him. Over."

"Damn... Well, that makes sense. I'll have Charon attend to him once we're finished here. Is MTX attending to that intruder in the upper levels? Over."

"Yes, Orlando. I just gave him the order. Over."

"Alright. Now, the Benefactor has new orders for you. He wants you to go down to Lumiose City and command the Syndicate forces down there. Over."

Curtis couldn't help but frown angrily at his newest order. The Benefactor wanted him to travel to the city below to command the grunts ransacking the city, but he did not include retrieving Rosa as part of those instructions. Did he really care about Rosa at all?...

"Copy that, Orlando," he replied reluctantly. "This is Tetsu. Over and out."

He put away the walkie-talkie and gazed longingly (and reluctantly) at the cloudy sky.

* * *

Orlando put away his walkie-talkie and then took out his Red Orb. Looking at it for a brief moment, he then looked at the radar device in front of him. If it was accurate (and it always was), then something was headed their way. Something very big. Something that was normally bad news, but also something Orlando had been hoping to capture for quite a while...

He sneered and looked back at the Red Orb.

"Alright, Groudon," he said. "Time for you to shine..."

* * *

**Bleu Plaza  
Lumiose City**

Alastair smirked in triumph as several Syndicate grunts handcuffed Sophie, Cosette, Drew, Lucas, Miette, Barry, Kenny, Ursula, and Bianca, while all of their Pokémon were being loaded by other grunts into a nearby transport jet inside cages. All over the plaza, Syndicate grunts were ransacking stores and apartments, taking anyone inside hostage and confiscating their Pokémon, taking said hostages to the middle of Bleu Plaza once they were done disarming and restraining them. Alastair couldn't have asked for a better day than today.

Suddenly, he heard someone weeping. He glanced at Bianca, who was in tears as she watched a Team Aqua grunt and a Team Plasma grunt take away a cage containing her unconscious Emboar.

"How disgusting," he snarled as he approached Bianca. "Stop crying, little girl. You asked for it. You and all of your friends, who are too afraid to accept the fact that a new future has befallen this society of ours!"

"Well, why do you think we refuse to accept this so-called new future?!" snapped Drew, glaring at the Syndicate lieutenant with a venomous look.

However, Alastair chuckled. "Because change frightens you, obviously. You are all so blinded by your freedoms and rights to choose that you are unable to see the cliff ahead of you! After all, freedom is what drives the human race to tear itself apart from the inside. But the Syndicate has laid the groundwork, and we now build a new future, one that preserves the well-being of all of us!"

"Yeah, right," Barry spat. "You really think you're looking out for all of us?! HA! I bet on all of the fines paid to me that you're concerned only about yourselves and your petty need to control everything in the world! You're just a bunch of power-hungry tools."

The others nodded in agreement, causing Alastair to frown angrily. Then, he nodded to the grunts holding the children, and they procured devices from their pockets. They pressed buttons on these devices, prompting the hostages to suddenly cry out in pain and fall to the ground.

"NO!" Cosette screamed.

Sophie glared at Alastair and demanded, "What're you doing to these kids, Alastair?!"

"Ah, don't worry about it," the lieutenant replied calmly. "It's just a few volts of moderately-charged electricity, nothing lethal. These children desperately need to learn manners, Sophie."

"YOU'RE A MADMAN!"

"No, I'm a visionary, Sophie. We at the Syndicate are _all_ visionaries."

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that! But I know what you really are: a mad, power-hungry, jealous man who will do anything to get out of his brother's shadow!"

Alastair's smirk widened as he remembered something. "Forgive me for changing the topic, Sophie, but I believe you didn't answer my question from earlier." He looked down upon the assistant. "You called my brother by his first name and not Professor Sycamore, like any other faithful lab assistant would do. And by golly, you really did seem emotional about it too. So tell me, what's with the lack of formalities, Sophie?"

"What makes you think I'll answer that?" snarled Sophie, but this only served to widen Alastair's smirk even more.

"You see, it's your very avoidance of answering the question that _really_ drives it home for me." The black-haired man began laughing. "You know, I honestly can't believe it! You, a mere lab assistant, having a _thing_ for my _brother_?! Since when did _that_ happen?! It's so hilarious! Really, it's so freaking _hilarious_ that I could cry!" He paused and wiped a tear from his eye. "Ah, I don't think I've laughed this hard in so long. I enjoyed that experience." He looked at the Syndicate grunts. "Take them all over to headquarters. Let's see if we have room in our dungeon for these guys."

"We're not gonna try to recruit any of 'em, boss?" a Team Magma grunt asked.

"No." Alastair stared down distastefully at all of the hostages the Syndicate were currently holding in Bleu Plaza. "It's pretty obvious none of them will accept our gracious offer. Do it."

The grunts nodded and began loading the hostages onto the transport jet. Meanwhile, Alastair heard his walkie-talkie crackle.

"Commander, are you there?!" a voice asked, emanating from the device. "It's Orlando! We have a serious situation! Respond ASAP! Over!"

Alastair's brow furrowed in concern, and he took the walkie-talkie out.

"This is Commander," he responded. "Orlando, if this is about those fighter jets, we have the perfect response for them. Over."

"I'm not talking about the jets, sir!" replied Orlando. "We have intruders running around in headquarters, and I've just received word that they're dispatching all of our agents fast! The latest reports I have are two dozen down so far, including Archie! We've sent MTX to handle the situation, but so far, he hasn't had any luck! We don't have eyes on them at all! Over!"

Alastair's eyes widened, and he replied, "What?! Do you know who these intruders are?!"

* * *

**The Syndicate Headquarters  
In the skies of Lumiose City, Kalos**

"67."

"76."

Paul frowned bitterly as he watched Trip take down ten Beedrill with his Lampent. The two Trainers then advanced onward in the hallway, passing the unconscious and injured bodies of Syndicate grunts. Seconds later, they heard shouting and orders being given, and into the hallway came another group of grunts.

"Seriously?" Trip deadpanned. "_More_ dominoes to knock down? Give us a _real_ challenge."

"GET THEM!" ordered a Team Galactic grunt, prompting the group's Pokémon to charge forward and fire a variety of attacks.

"Electivire," began Paul.

"Serperior," began Trip.

"Use Thunder/Leaf Tornado."

Electivire and Serperior launched their respective attacks, bringing down a considerable amount of Pokémon on the opposing side. The few that remained standing were then finished off by the other Pokémon Paul and Trip had out. Once they made sure all of the opposing Pokémon were knocked out, Paul addressed Trip.

"How much?"

Trip smirked. "82. You?"

Paul's smirk was wider. "86."

Trip's lip twitched unpleasantly. "Don't get cocky. You might lose count."

Paul scoffed quietly. "Oh, sure thing, newbie. Don't get ahead of yourself."

The two Trainers and their Pokémon marched onward, while the Syndicate grunts they had just defeated abruptly (and pathetically) raised their hands in surrender and allowed them to step by. At that point, they entered the cafeteria, expecting it to be filled to the brim with Syndicate grunts. Instead, they found the floor littered with unconscious grunts and Pokémon. Only one person was standing, being situated at the center of the cafeteria.

"Guys," Trip said to his Pokémon in warning. They all prepared to attack, but Paul held out his arm, gesturing them to stop.

"It's okay," the purple-haired Sinnoh native said. "I know him. He's definitely on our side."

Paul then stepped forward alone and approached the person, whose back was facing him. At first, it didn't seem like this person noticed Paul's presence. Then...

"You were hoping to kick a lot of butts here, right?" he asked.

"Sort of, yes," Paul replied. "But this saves me some trouble of having to keep track of the number of Pokémon I take down here." He raised an eyebrow. "Calem, right?"

Calem turned around and smiled at the purple-haired Trainer. "Yes, that's me. And you're Paul. I remember you well."

"As do I. How'd you get in here?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

Paul shrugged. "Well, I'm awesome that way."

Trip suddenly frowned angrily at his companion's response. However, Paul didn't notice it; instead, his eyes narrowed in seriousness.

"I hear this organization is holding hostages somewhere here," he said. "Probably including Ash and his friends."

"Yes, I believe you're right in that regard," Calem replied. "I have been looking for their holding cells for quite a while now, but I just searched throughout this entire floor and found nothing that would indicate anyone was being held against their will here. Same with the upper floors." He looked down at the floor. "I'm going to assume it's below us."

"And that sounds just about right."

"And I'm assuming you weren't able to get any useful information out of any of these losers?"

"No. Not one single person was willing to squeal." Paul scanned the unconscious bodies of all the Syndicate grunts. "Whoever they're working for obviously has enough power and influence to keep them silent about the right things."

"I believe you're right in that regard as well."

"HEY, YOU PUNKS!" a voice suddenly roared randomly. Paul and Calem looked up to see a Team Galactic grunt standing on an upper balcony, looking down at them with his Bronzor. "SURRENDER RIGHT NOW, OR YOU SHALL SUFFER THE WRATH OF-"

A Conkeldurr suddenly leaped straight into the air, glowing light-blue, and struck Bronzor unrelentingly with one of its concrete pillars. The Bronze Pokémon groaned in pain and fell to the cafeteria floor, unconscious. Then, as it fell, Conkeldurr smashed its other concrete pillar down on the ground the Team Galactic grunt was standing on, destroying it and sending the screaming man a few feet down to the lower floor, knocking him out.

Both Paul and Calem blinked in surprise and watched Conkeldurr land perfectly beside Trip, whose eyes were closed while a smug grin was on his face.

"83," the Unova Trainer said.

"That's still three Pokémon behind me," Paul replied.

"If you pay more attention, unlike what you've done these past couple of minutes, then it'd be that way. Like I said-" Trip opened his eyes. "Don't get too cocky."

Calem blinked in surprise again and looked at Paul.

"Friend of yours?" he asked.

"Barely," Paul spat in response.

"But you two are together-"

"No, we are not. He's just a pest I can't shake off."

"Well, that's very kind of you to say," Trip said sarcastically.

"I don't even know why I bother..."

Calem struggled to hold back a laugh. "Well," he said, "since we're here, I say we search for these holding cells together. There's only so much we can do with the teams we have." Beside his foot, a Syndicate grunt stirred, but Calem knocked him out without even looking. "Sounds like a good strategy, doesn't it?"

Trip shrugged nonchalantly. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Paul blinked once. "Does it look like I have a choice?"

A brief silence hung in the air.

"Well," replied Calem, rubbing his head at the sheer awkwardness, "good talk, guys."

* * *

_**"Raikou, Entei, Suicune, attack again."**_

Ash heard the Legendary Beasts fire their respective attacks. He wanted to defend himself, to preserve his very well-being so he could find a way to save the day once again, just like he always did. But he didn't. He couldn't force his muscles to move, his brain to work, his emotions to drive him. He still had the capacity to do each and every one of those things, but Ash simply didn't use it.

He no longer had the will to fight.

After all, what in the world was he supposed to do? He was at an unfair advantage! He didn't have Pikachu or any of his other Pokémon to fight for him. Even then, he had to put the fact of facing off against _Legendary Pokémon_ into consideration. It would be an extremely difficult battle to reap victory from, unless he had another Legendary Pokémon standing by his side...but he knew how well that was playing out right now. Some, if not most of them were under the possession of the Syndicate, which clearly had the resources to control them, and any that were still free would likely not stand any chance against the organization's strength and numbers.

It was simply a hopeless situation, one in which there was no salvation to be seen. There was no way he could save the day then!

_"I can't do it,"_ he thought sadly.

* * *

All across Lumiose City, Syndicate grunts were taking over every street and neighborhood, defeating any form of resistance they came across and subjugating every person and Pokémon they encountered. Many people were simply helpless.

**_"I just can't do it."_**

* * *

A still-hypnotized Diane was being placed into a scanning machine by Syndicate grunts, who were hoping to find a way to undo her disguise and revert her back to her true form as the Jewel Pokémon Diancie.

**_"No matter what I do..."_**

* * *

Bonnie was sitting in the basement with Jessica, Sherman, and the rest of their group as they all waited for some sort of miracle to occur. Above them, Syndicate grunts had just broken into the salon and began ransacking it, hoping to find anything useful.

**_"I just wind up falling back down to the same level I started at."_**

* * *

Mewtwo was lying in a pile of rubble, still unconscious from her fight with the other Mewtwo. A team of Syndicate grunts closed in, their weapons and devices ready.

**_"Sooner or later..."_**

* * *

Blaziken Mask and his Mega Blaziken continued to fight against the Hive, both hopping from rooftop to rooftop and avoiding the strange device's tentacles all the while.

**_"I'll just hit rock-bottom and lose."_**

* * *

At Sycamore Laboratories, May and Clemont emerged from the rubble, bearing scratches, scrapes, cuts, and bruises from their fight with Alastair's Pokémon and the Hive, but otherwise unscathed. Unfortunately for them, their Pokémon were all lying on the ground around them, unconscious.

**_"That's what's in store for me."_**

* * *

Sophie, Cosette, Drew, Lucas, Miette, Barry, Kenny, Ursula, and Bianca all sat in the Syndicate transport jet, waiting for what lay ahead of then, as said jet continued to fly into the airship's hangar.

**_"Loss and defeat..."_**

* * *

The Gym Leaders, Elite Four members, and other prominent PWT figures who defected to the Syndicate were in a massive training room. However, they were doing nothing to train their Pokémon. Instead, they all loitered around aimlessly, looking extremely reluctant in their latest decisions.

**_"No success and triumph."_**

* * *

Calem, Paul, and Trip searched around the Syndicate airship floors, hoping to find something useful. All the while, Paul and Trip battled and defeated any enemy forces standing in their path, while Calem secretly used his Aura abilities to deduce the hostages' current location, but to no avail.

**_"No personal glory, no title, no reward."_**

* * *

Calem opened his eyes after his latest attempt at using Aura. He then narrowed his eyelids, wondering why he was unable to effectively utilize his abilities.

One thing was sure for him, though: something was definitely not right with this place.

**_"I'm just doomed to repeat this cycle over and over again."_**

* * *

Outside the airship, a swarm of fighter jets continued to fly towards the massive aerial vehicle, unaware for what was in store for them. Unbeknownst to them, above them passed a serpentine being with strange markings and colored in an emerald green...

**_"I've...I've failed everyone..."_**

* * *

Serena and the others continued to watch Ash, wondering why he had suddenly become inactive. Cilan lay on the floor, still writhing from the pain he received from the grunt's attacks. After a while, Serena closed her eyes, mentally praying to Arceus that Ash would overcome his dilemma and save the day, like he always did.

**_"I'm sorry, everyone..."_**

* * *

_"But I couldn't save the day this time..."_

Ash closed his eyes sadly, awaiting the inevitable. He could hear the incoming attacks, feel the weight of them bearing down on his body.

But he didn't care. He just wanted the end to come, quickly and painlessly. What was the point, anyway?

_**"Hey, hey, now's not the time to call it quits, Ash! Come on, never give up till the end! Do you remember that?"**_

_"Never give up...till the end?"_

Ash suddenly felt as if time stopped, but that was the least of his concerns.

_"But what if this _is _the end? What if there's nothing left to do, other than give up? How am I supposed to keep fighting if there's nothing I can do that can work?! How?! Why in the world did I make such a stupid statement anyway?!"_

...

_"It's because I didn't. It wasn't my own statement to make. There's no way I'd make up such an inspirational statement such as that when I was a kid. But...whose statement is it then, if it's not mine? And why'd I start using it in the first place?..."_

...

_**"You know, when I was your age, I wanted to be a **_**Pokémon Master_."_**

* * *

**Sometime, somewhere**

"A Pokémon Master?" Ash repeated. "What's that?"

The man chuckled, which surprised him. This was actually the first time he heard his guardian...demonstrate any feeling of _joy_...

"To be honest," he replied, "the definition has become lost with the ages. But...it was an ideal that I wanted to achieve...no matter what..."

"So, have you become a Pokémon Master? Or are you still trying to become one?"

"No. I haven't become a Pokémon Master. Nor do I ever intend to become one anymore."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "Why not? It sounds very, very interesting."

"Well...I found out, a long time ago, that sometimes, things are just never meant to be. Being a Pokémon Master is one of them."

Ash sat up and looked at his guardian, noticing the solemn expression on his face. He defiantly crossed her arms.

"Well," he said, "you can never know for sure till you keep trying."

"I _have_ tried. ...So many times..."

"Maybe you are not trying hard enough." Ash clenched a fist and placed it over her heart in a bold manner. "Determination and commitment always get the job done. Never give up till the end, as my mother used to say to me!" His optimistic grin widened. "And besides, becoming a Pokémon Master sounds very easy!"

"You don't know what a Pokémon Master is," the man replied flatly, "and you believe becoming one is very easy?"

"If I put my mind into it, then yes! Anything is possible if you put your mind into it, and have determination and commitment and the phrase 'Never give up till the end' by your side! Once you have all of those, then there's absolutely _nothing_ that could go wrong when you're seeking your goal!"

"I see..."

The man smiled slightly and let out a long sigh. "You sound impressed with the whole Pokémon Master thing..."

"I may not know what it is, but it sounds very appealing. Like you'll be standing at the top of the world if you're one." His eyes softened as he looked away. "At the top of the world...as a Pokémon Master..." He grinned widely. "_Wow_..."

"Do you want to be a Pokémon Master?" the man asked, as if on instinct.

Ash looked back at his guardian, confused. "Me, a...a _Pokémon Master_?" He smiled once again. "Yes. I would like to be one." An excited, energetic glint flashed in his youthful auburn eyes as he determinedly put a clenched fist over his heart again. "Yes. That shall be what I will pursue. I will become a Pokémon Master!"

Then...

**_"It was built to promote understanding between humans and Pokémon, and my ancestors protected it for generations. Over the decades, the Tin Tower became a special place for another reason. It was the only place on earth where Ho-Oh, the legendary Pokémon, made contact with humans. Ho-Oh's visits were a sign of peace, but it would only appear to a chosen few. Only those guarding the tower. Then, one day, invaders came who sought to use the Ho-Oh's power for evil! In the ensuing battle, the Tin Tower was set afire! The Ho-Oh fled... It ceased to make contact with humans...and it has never returned. Some wanted to rebuild the tower, but my ancestors insisted that it be left as a witness for future generations of man's brutality, but they also decided to build a new Tin Tower. Their hope was that the Ho-Oh might return, to a new place of peace. So far...these hopes have been in vain... We've waited so long that some people say that Ho-Oh was a legend that never really existed."_**

* * *

_**"It seems you didn't remember until now. That's surprising..."**_

_"How should I have known? It was long ago. It was barely of any importance to me at all."_

**_"Was it now?"_**

_"..."_

_**"Do you wish to learn more, Ash? Because there**_** is_ more..._**_**"**_

_"There's..._more_?..."_

**_"Of course! But you obviously won't learn anything if you refuse to fight. So come on, Ash. Fight. Fight! Never give up till the end! Better remember that statement now, because you're gonna need it more than ever! ...You're_ always_ gonna need it in a time of need.__ After all...I did."_**

* * *

Ash suddenly felt a new willpower fill him.

Acting on some sort of new instinct, and allowing a newfound energy surging through his body, Ash held out his palms and produced an Aura barrier that encompassed him, protecting him completely from Raikou, Entei, and Suicune's combined attacks. Once the smoke cleared out, it revealed his results, drawing roars of pleasure from the Syndicate grunts watching. He allowed his energy shield to materialize, and once it completely dissipated, the raven-haired Trainer stood up, looking unusually calm and composed.

He opened his eyes and stared down the Legendary Beasts, who all roared at him. However, their roars didn't sound aggressive. No, not in the slightest.

Instead, they sounded _defensive_...

Ash held his palms together and winced as he strained his mind, but he was finally able to do it. He was able to produce an Aura Sphere in his hands.

_**"My, my!"**_ Charon's voice exclaimed happily through the speakers. _**"Well done, boy! I don't know what exactly triggered you to finally utilize your Aura abilities to the fullest extent, but I must say, you did a fine job refining yourself in a rusty area! I guess you young ones are right whenever you say to get back up when someone knocks you down. Oh, you'll provide so much excellent data for me..."**_

"I'm afraid your experiment just ended, old man!" announced Ash defiantly. He then separated his palms, with the Aura Sphere between them splitting into two and each half levitating alongside one of his palms; each half also reformed to generate whole spheres again.

_**"Has it now, boy?"**_

"Yes." Ash then raised his right palm into the air. "The Aura..._**IS WITH ME**_!"

With a loud roar, he smashed his right palm down onto the ground, crushing the Aura Sphere beneath. This generated a massive shock-wave that spread throughout the entire stadium, knocking the Legendary Beasts and all of the present Syndicate grunts backward, and overloading every electrical device in the vicinity. Ash didn't flinch as all four of the stadium's TV screens sparked repeatedly and finally exploded, showering the stands with shards of glass.

* * *

Inside their room, Serena and the others, even the Syndicate grunts holding them, ducked as Ash's shock-wave completely blew out the windows they had been watching through. As soon as the shock-wave hit their high-tech handcuffs, the devices all sparked and automatically unlocked themselves, freeing everyone. A Team Galactic grunt was the first to notice this.

"Hey, what the hell?!" he exclaimed. Then, he watched in terror as Cynthia and some Gym Leaders stood up, wearing angered expressions. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Listen here, guys, there's no need to be hostile! I-I mean, it was nothing personal!"

"I'm sure it wasn't," snarled Serena in disgust as she stood up and crossed her arms.

* * *

_**"WHAT THE HELL?!"**_ Charon snarled, his voice heavily distorted by the overloaded speakers. _**"This wasn't supposed to happen! Damn you, boy! DAMN YOU!"**_

Raikou, Entei, and Suicune roared aggressively at Ash, who deduced that they were still hypnotized. However, he didn't care about that.

"COME ON!" the Trainer shouted at the Legendary Beasts, allowing his remaining Aura Sphere to elongate and reshape itself into a sword of pure Aura. He then slashed at the air with the weapon, using so much force that the very air current generated by the slash caused the ground to crack.

Suicune howled and fired an Aurora Beam, but as it came close to Ash, he slashed the very beam with his Aura sword. This caused the attack to dissipate, and its energy to detonate all around him harmlessly in small explosions that encircled him.

Raikou tried to take advantage of this potential distraction to charge through the clouds of smoke and attack Ash with a Thunder Fang, but Ash was already waiting for it. Once the Thunder Pokémon came close enough, Ash fired a beam from the tip of the sword, forcing his attacker backward. He then slashed at the air again, this time releasing a light-blue, crescent-shaped blade of energy towards Raikou. Raikou tried to dodge it, but it was too fast, and it hit it squarely in the mouth, while it was still using Thunder Fang. This triggered an explosion that knocked the Thunder Pokémon out.

"One down," snarled Ash as he faced Entei and Suicune, "two to go."

Entei roared and charged towards Ash, using Flare Blitz. However, using Aura, the raven-haired Trainer managed to jump away in time and land in the audience stands, where a number of unconscious Syndicate grunts lay. Entei prepared to fire a Flamethrower at Ash's direction, but Charon's voice emerged from the speakers.

_**"No Entei, don't! We've got men down there! Refrain from attacking the seats!"**_

Ash gritted his teeth in utter rage. "You don't care about innocent people and Pokémon when they get hurt, or worse," he snarled, "but you show concern for your own men when they are in danger?!" He leaped high into the air, energizing his jump with Aura. "YOU DISGUST ME!"

He landed directly in front of Entei and generated another crescent blade of Aura energy with a slash of his sword. The attack hit the Volcano Pokémon dead-on and sent it flying into the opposite wall, almost a mile away.

"Two down," Ash spat, "one to go."

Roaring angrily at the latest attack against it brethren, Suicune fired a Hydro Pump, but Ash literally sliced it in half, down the middle. Then, within split-seconds, he ran through the halved Hydro Pump as it was still in midair. He headed towards Suicune using superhuman speeds, screaming furiously at the top of his lungs all the while. Once the water fell to the ground, Ash leaped towards the Aurora Pokémon, his sword ready.

**"YAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!"**

Stepping backward in alarm, Suicune tried to fire an Aurora Beam, but Ash was faster; he fired a beam from his sword, which hit Suicune and sent it flying into the faraway wall just like Entei, knocking it out. Ash then twirled around to stare at the destroyed stadium screens.

"Your pawns are all down now!" he announced. "Be prepared, for you're next!"

Another roar caused him to turn back.

Having just recovered from its wounds, Entei fired a massive Flamethrower at Ash, but he merely kept slashing away at it, successfully diverting the searing-hot flames away from his bruised and cut skin.

"IS THAT THE BEST YOU CAN DO?!" the Trainer hollered. "COME ON! COME ON, COME ON, **COME ON**!"

As soon as the flames subsided, Ash saw Entei leaping towards him, ready to use Flame Fang. However, he was still not frightened by this.

His auburn eyes were wide, his pupils were constricted as much as possible, and they were quivering violently. At this point, nothing mattered to him. He needed to overcome this challenge, this impossible challenge, and see to it that he and his friends got out of this place alive. And then...

Entei approached, its fangs completely on fire. Ash could feel himself rapidly losing energy, all of a sudden.

"**THE AURA IS _WITH ME_!**" he shouted at the top of his lungs, prompting his sword to suddenly reform itself into a massive ax.

But then, he felt a sudden surge of pain in his head, and he flinched, for just one moment.

That one moment of vulnerability was all Entei needed.

_A flash of the deepest red..._

* * *

Serena, Misty, Max, Dawn, Iris, and Cilan's eyes all widened in horror as they watched the sight below them.

**"ASH!"** they all screeched at once.

* * *

Ash staggered away from Entei as it roared aggressively at him.

At first, the raven-haired Trainer was confused. He couldn't feel his arm, and he could spatters of blood everywhere. Then, he noticed the blood dripping from the Volcano Pokémon's mouth and fangs. And finally, something caught his eye...

A dismembered arm, holding his slowly dissipating Aura weapon.

His eyes widened in horror, and he let out a bloodcurdling scream that was heard throughout the whole stadium.

_**"How much did you lose now, Ash?"**_

* * *

**The Prism Tower  
Lumiose City**

Just moments earlier, Leaf and Brock had defeated another group of Syndicate grunts in one of the tower's hallways. Moments later, as they ran down the same hallway, Leaf suddenly stopped, looked over her shoulder, and smiled mysteriously.

"Well," she said to no one in particular, "that was interesting..."

"What wasn't interesting, Leaf?" Brock asked, having heard her and stopped to look at the girl. However, he received no response. "Uh...Leaf? Did you hear me? Leaf?"

The brown-haired female Trainer looked back at Brock and smiled at him sweetly.

"Oh, it's nothing, Brocky! I was just thinking about how fun this was!"

"Fun?" the aspiring Pokémon Doctor repeated. "Fun?! _Fun_, you say?!" He approached her with a stern look on his face. "Leaf, this isn't fun! This is a serious situation! People's lives are at risk! The whole _city_ could be at risk! And who knows what else these guys have planned? Whatever it is, it's obviously not going to be beneficial for us! And you think all of this is _fun_?!" He then sighed and clutched his forehead in stress. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry for snapping at you, Leaf, but-but this is still a very serious situation, Leaf, and you can't just take all of this lightly, do you understand?"

Suddenly, he noticed that Leaf had her head down, and her hair was hanging over her eyes. As a result, he couldn't read her expression at all. All he did know was that she was frowning considerably.

"Uh, Leaf?" he asked. "Look, I didn't really mean to speak to you like that. I was just...just stressed." He didn't receive a response. "Leaf? Leaf, speak to me." There was still no response. "Leaf, please talk to me. We have to keep moving here-"

"Hey, Brock!" a familiar voice called, and the Doctor twirled around. His eyes widened the moment he saw a new group of familiar faces join him and Leaf.

"Hilbert!" he replied. "Hilda, Steven!" He then spotted a shady-looking Trainer walking with them; he had long, thick black hair and wearing all-black clothing, save for a light-blue, thick scarf. "Whoever you are..."

"Good to see you!" exclaimed Hilbert. Then, he looked around in concern. "Wait, where's the rest of your group?"

"I got separated from them. I don't know what happened to them, and I'm searching for them. I'm assuming you haven't seen them..."

Hilbert looked down at the floor sadly. "Yeah..."

"I see... But the good thing is that Leaf and I were able to get a lot of work done. I think we dismantled some operation they were planning on doing with Prism Tower's circuit board or something like that."

"Good work, man, good work."

"Wait, Leaf?" Steven asked, an eyebrow raised. "Who's Leaf?"

"Oh yes, Leaf," replied Brock. "Leaf's a Trainer I battled while I was still a Gym Leader at Pewter City." He gestured behind him. "This is her."

"What're you talking about, Brock?" a confused Hilbert asked. "There's no one there."

"What?!" Brock's eyes widened in surprise, and he turned around, only to realize that Hilbert was right. There was no one there.

Leaf was gone...

* * *

**In the skies of Lumiose City**

Orlando stood atop his skateboard-shaped flight device, watching the massive bank of clouds. He smirked the moment he heard a massive, mighty roar in the distance.

"There you are," he said to himself as he pulled out the Red Orb. "I've been waiting for this..." He closed his eyes, raised the Orb high into the air, and announced at the top of his lungs, "By the power of this almighty Red Orb, unmatched by all but one, I call for you, Lord of the Land, creator of the earth I stand upon!" The command prompted the sphere to glow red, illuminating the surrounding areas. "Hear my summons, and listen to my reasons! Your fearsome powers of expanding the landmasses are needed to defy this menace that threatens us! So, as I pray, come forth, Groudon the almighty, and bear us desolate lands!" He opened his eyes, as the red light grew brighter. **"GO!"**

A tremendous roar, unlike any other, sounded across the area.

* * *

_"The world is at a standstill. His golden light shines upon us all. We are all blessed. And then, as we are **hearing the call** of the Almighty Creator, everything-"_

–Author unknown, text incomplete

* * *

**Next time on "Judgment's Fall"**

_A quiet, tranquil, endless sea, with a small flock of Wingull flying around it..._

**Chapter 26: King of the Sea**

* * *

**How Paul and Trip got into the Syndicate headquarters:**

The two Trainers had reached the top of Prism Tower in a matter of minutes, leaving behind a trail of unconscious bodies in their wake. Once they were on the rooftop, they spotted a Syndicate transport jet situated on it, just a few feet away. However, it was surrounded by a few grunts.

Trip smirked and threw a Poké Ball. "Come on out, Serperior!" he shouted.

The Regal Pokémon emerged from its holding device and roared, attracting the attention of the Syndicate grunts.

"Well, well, well," snarled a grunt from an unknown organization. "Stragglers!"

"Hope you're up for a plane ride, kids!" a Team Plasma grunt exclaimed. "Because we're taking you up to our headquarters for some making or breaking!"

"Yeah, I don't think so," Trip replied, sounding rather annoyed at the grunts' dialogue.

The grunts grinned and summoned their Pokémon, which all happened to be Fire-, Ice-, Poison-, Flying-, and Bug-types. Paul's eyes widened at the severe disadvantages posed against Serperior and prepared to reach into a Poké Ball, but he was suddenly stopped by Trip.

"I've got this," the Unova native said.

Upon hearing Trip's confident statement, the grunts cackled loudly in response.

"Are you _serious_, boy?!" the Team Plasma grunt cried, wiping a tear away from his eye as he spoke. "You _really_ think your lone, puny, little Serperior can withstand the might of all of _our_ Pokémon?! Who all happen to have a type-advantage against it?!" He cackled again for a brief moment. "You're sadly mistaken if you think you can accomplish such a feat! My pals and I will make short work of your Serperior in no time flat, and then, we shall take you and your friend to our headquarters, where you will both cower before the might of the Syndicate, the pinnacle of cooperation and teamwork between organizations dedicated to paving the way to a better future! So, if you truly care for the well-being of your Serperior, I strongly suggest you surrender and avoid the pain and shame of losing in such an embarrassing way! What do you say, kid?"

He sweat-dropped upon seeing all of the grunts' Pokémon lying in front them, all knocked out.

"Good speech," Trip said from the driver's seat of the transport jet. "Truly worthy of an award. And don't worry, I'll tell your bosses up there you guys said hi."

The hatch leading into the jet interior closed, and the aerial vehicle lifted into the air with some difficulty and headed towards the Syndicate headquarters, leaving behind a very dumbfounded Team Plasma grunt.

"What?" he asked. "What...the hell...just...happened?..."

"Two words, man," replied another Team Plasma grunt. "Leaf. Tornado."

At the side, a Team Magma grunt remarked, "Oh, I _so_ pity the Level 100 Pikachu that gets beaten by that OP Leaf Tornado while that Serperior's a Level 5 Snivy..."

* * *

**A/N:** I added that little epilogue for some laughs, as well as a counterbalance for that shocker ending with Ash.

Now, this probably might not be my best writing, but hey, I guess this is what happens when I don't get back to writing a story for so long. Now at the rate this chapter is going, I probably might have to change up my direction of the next chapter, and therefore, the whole conclusion of Act II. _Therefore_, some parts of the Act II preview (the one I showed at the end of Chapter 15) might no longer be correct. But hey, previews tend to be misleading in some parts, am I right?

As for all of that confusion that triggered Ash's OP Aura abilities, well, you'll all find out what that was about later down in the road. But for now, consider yourselves awfully confused.

Now then, please don't forget to answer my question in the beginning Author's Note.

And without any further ado, I'd like to thank the following for reviewing:

**-DodgingKing:**

**1)** I think the prospect of Hilbert starting a journey of his own should be the least of his worries at the moment...

**2)** Nope, looks like Ash held out on his own and didn't need Calem to help him...or did he?...

**3)** Thanks for the one-year anniversary thing! :D

**-masterwriterKC007:** And I managed to make Ash use Aura once again, and in such a badass (and mysterious) way! :D :D :D

**-DisneyWriter:** Well, good for you!

**-Gyga (guest reviewer):**

**1)** Yeah, I don't remember the last time I updated so quickly either.

**2)** It's okay, I don't think you were required to answer. As for your actual site account, I can no longer remember if you contacted me using it to confirm your identity. Anyway, whether or not you want to review this story under your account name, it's completely up to you. I won't hold it against you either way.

**3)** Ah yes, the power of foreshadowing and lamp-shading! It is so...ultimate.

**4)** Actually, I've now heard rumors that the Ash-Greninja thing might be some sort of foreshadowing to the Sun and Moon games. If you don't know what I'm talking about (and I'm betting you're knowledgeable about this by now), just look up all the fan theories for the upcoming games. I'm pretty sure it'll be mentioned in at least most of them.

**5)** Us, eh? So you have dissociative identity disorder? *sarcasm*

**-Axel Davis:** I'm betting that you already know this, since I haven't gone onto this story in a while and you were likely forced to wander around the story's chapters to find out for yourself.

**-Guest reviewer #1:** Yeah, I definitely never saw that movie. That was a coincidence on my part.

**-Guest reviewer #2:**

**1)** Well, I deleted that side-story chapter due to new circumstances (read the Author's Note in the beginning for more info if you haven't already), so consider that problem out of the way.

**2)** I'm thinking about evolving Frogadier into Greninja and giving him the Ash-Greninja ability, but so far, it's not a done deal. Same with implementing the XY&amp;Z arc into the story.

**3)** I actually have a little storyline planned for Serena's Braixen, so we'll see. ;)

**-Trublmsbob:**

**1)** Well, I see Bonnie as seven years old, and I write her with any average seven-year-old girl in mind (though I'm probably riding on a stereotype or a case of over-generalization as a model). But I do hope my treatment of Bonnie in this chapter was more satisfactory.

**2)** Well, you've only seen _some_ of the Syndicate members talk about that, not all of them, and remember that the Syndicate is a REALLY big organization comprised of many different organizations with different goals and ideologies. There are lots of beliefs running around among them, even the most cliched ones. Some, such as Alastair as you've seen, really do see Pokémon as tools and they have not seen (or rather refuse to see) proof of the contrary.

**-Emily (guest reviewer):** You'll find out what the ARCANE Project is in the next chapter.

**-Guest reviewer #3:** You're right, I didn't mention how the Legendary Beasts were captured, but the same applies with some other Legendary Pokémon. The reason for this is not all of the locations hit by the Syndicate were close to populated areas and therefore needed any covering up.

**-Guest reviewer #4:** What're you talking about?

**-AMOUR WORSHIPPER:** Thank you for reviewing a whole bunch of chapters, but there is absolutely no need to capitalize everything. It makes your review rather grating to read. But I did put a lot of thought into this fic. I'm putting a lot of thought into right now.

**-ChE clarinetist:**

**1)** Well, hope your scholarly paper did well! :D

**2)** Oh, the midpoint climax is going to be quite the seller. ;)

**3)** Heh heh heh... I have a "dark place" planned for Ash... Heh heh heh...

**-Darxetta:**

**1)** Well, I'm glad I fulfilled your most fervent desire. Indulge in it! Indulge! :D

**2)** Yes, Riley will be making another appearance.

**-Guest reviewer #5:** That is correct. What is the question you want answered?

**-AF251298:** I think I already responded to you by PM.

**-Guest reviewer #6:** Yeah, sorry about that, and sorry about the long wait too.

**-JRthebest:** Well, I'm back! :D Hopefully you're still here.

**-King nintendo (guest reviewer):** That's good to know. Yeah, it's pretty annoying when some writers just take a break or ultimately stop writing without notifying their readers in advance.

**-LysandreMackintosh:** Part of me hopes that is the case, but another part of me thinks that won't be possible since Serena's also pretty invested in her goal and she has a business card from Palermo in case she wants to receive tutelage from her, I think that was the case? Also, with the Sun and Moon games announced, I'm pretty psyched to see an animated version of the female playable character from those games, acting as a new traveling companion for Ash.

**-Guest reviewer #7:** Prepare yourself for a whopper, then, because whatever happens next in the story will be pretty intense for you! ;)

**-jordanlink7856:** Ah, the tragedy of density. It has plagued Ash and made him a very interesting case. XD

Well, hope you enjoyed this penultimate chapter of Act II! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


	28. IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Sorry guys, but this is not a new chapter. This is an announcement from yours truly.

Due to some personal complications I've been experiencing, I've decided to put this story (and all of the ones I'm still working on) on temporary hold until I get said complications resolved. Yes, you heard me correctly, and I apologize for that. But I will repeat myself: _**temporary hold**_. I will come back to this when my problems are fixed.

I'm not going to tell you what happened to me here, because I honestly don't have the motivation to make a thorough explanation in an announcement chapter such as this. However, a full explanation is on my profile, so if you want to know what happened, I strongly urge you to check it. And no, tragedy did not befall me or my family, nor am I experiencing some sort of personal crisis. It's not THAT bad.

So yeah, that just happened. Sorry, guys. I promise you, I will come back to this, but my problem is big and I need to resolve it before I can continue working on this. I hope you understand, and if not, well, I understand. Just read my profile, though. You'll learn what's going on with me.

TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!


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